The Pairings of Gosho Aoyama: A Compilation
by psykostevey999
Summary: I am going to cover every couple you can think of. Everyone will have their time to shine! From the base couples to the more obscure ones, even the ones we hardly remember at times. To accentuate the point my first chapter is from Yaiba! That's right!
1. Height is a Factor

I am only doing this disclaimer once because it should be implied: I don't own Detective Conan, Magic Kaito or Yaiba they are all blessed treasures passed down from our beloved Gosho-san who NEEDS TO HOOK RAN AND SHINICHI UP ALREADY! sorry i lost my cool there for a second. Without further ado, this is my first couple

**Characters: **Mine Sayaka and Kurogane Yaiba

**Title: **Height is a Factor

Yaiba had always been a very confident young man. In fact his personality bordered on arrogant at times but the people around didn't seem to be bothered by it. It was what made Yaiba, Yaiba. However there was one chink in his almost impenetrable armor, one blaring evidence of insecurity that always tore away at his self-esteem: his height. Many times in the past he had been mistaken for a ten tear old due to his size and his childlike disposition. The times when he did actually clarify he was sixteen years old he was either written off or simply laughed at. Strangely however those that laughed at him weren't the swordsmen he dueled or the demons he carved down, they were high school students.

Yaiba had been attending Sayaka's high school for three weeks and already he loathed it. For starters, despite heated debate on his part, he had been instructed to leave his weapons at home. That meant his wood swords, his katanas and especially the Thunder God sword. To accentuate the point Musashi had even taken it upon himself to protect the sword from him personally.

So he had been sifting through school days which, to him, were completely useless. What purpose could school possibly serve if there was no sword or combat training involved? The only bright spot about school was the kendo team. They were the only guys at the school that respected him because let's face facts, it's difficult to make jest at Yaiba when he's holding a weapon. To the team he was like a new Onimaru, who had never actually returned to the kendo team or the high school after his whole ordeal with being possessed by the Wind Demon.

Despite the futility of school in Yaiba's eyes there were two events in the near future he deemed of the utmost importance: the Kendo Championships and the Prom. He saw the Kendo Championships as a great opportunity to showcase his skills and ultimately squash any and all jokes about his height forever. The Prom was a different story however. He was completely secure in his abilities as a swordsmen and he knew without fallacy that he would annihilate any opponent in that respect. Prom on the other hand, made him very nervous.

Ever since there scrap with death back in the Mount Fuji Sayaka and Yaiba had tiptoed around there standing with one another. Obviously they had become inseparable friends through their many adventures together but whether or not there was more to their relationship had yet to be determined. On his part Yaiba had become particularly fond of Sayaka, enough so to say that on multiple occasions he would have died to protect her. To those who chose to insinuate it meant that she was especially important to him. One person who knew of this fact was Sayaka's father Raizo who decided it was time he and Yaiba discussed the issue

Yaiba had begun his mental countdown to both the Prom and the Kendo Tournament in his head at fourteen days. To the inhabitants of the Mine house it was a shock that he could even count that high. Nevertheless it was day three of his countdown when Raizo pulled him aside from his training and told him it was time for them to talk

"Kurogane Yaiba there is a matter I must discuss with you" he said as he crossed his legs and sat down. He held out an open hand and motioned for Yaiba to sit down in front of him. Yaiba was confused by the seriousness he was displaying but obliged him nonetheless.

"What do ya' need?" He asked with no air of solemnity to match Raizo's

"I assume you are aware that we are a traditional family yes?" Yaiba raised an eyebrow at the odd question but nodded "And you're aware that in a traditional household marriage usually takes place as soon as the children are of legal age" Yaiba was still completely oblivious to the implications of his questions and nodded again

"What's this got to do with anything?" Yaiba asked, only able to think of the training he was missing out on by continuing the conversation

"Look you and my daughter have become familiar with one another and you've proven you can take care of her in dangerous situations. What I'm getting at is that it might be time for you considering marrying my daughter" Yaiba processed the statement for a moment before leaping off the ground and almost hitting the ceiling of the living room

"What the hell are you saying?"

"Would you be quiet we're the only ones awake at this hour" Raizo requested sternly. Yaiba realized he was right and sat back down after taking a deep breath

"Mine-sensei I can't just do that, it would be weird" Raizo shook his head and glared at Yaiba, amazed by his idiocy

"You don't need to call me 'sensei', you've become a master in your own right. And I wasn't asking you to propose today, I just think it's time that you starting considering the future. I believe if you were to court she would not object and I know full well along with everyone else in the house that you hold certain feelings for her" His tone was not joking or sarcastic, he was merely making legitimate observations and suggestions

"He's right you know" a voice chimed in from the corner of the room. Yaiba's head swung around to face the offending voice while Raizo merely grinned

"M-Musashi?" he shouted in surprise, earning a swift backhand from Musashi who launched himself at Yaiba with blinding speed for his age

"Silence stupid, people are asleep" Yaiba face turned red with rage

"Don't call me stupid old man and why were you listening to us?" Yaiba solicited angrily, lowering his volume slightly and gritting his teeth as he spoke

"I listen to everything idiot. Now, have you forgotten your training so quickly?" Yaiba quirked and eyebrow at him

"What are you talking about?"

"I have always taught you that to be a master of the sword you must follow your heart and be swift with your actions. Indecisiveness will be the death of any swordsmen" Yaiba looked down at his hands which were piled up in his lap

"What exactly are you telling me to do old man?" He asked in a somber tone. Musashi laughed loudly to himself as he started to walk away "Hey don't walk away like that!" Yaiba half screamed as Musashi disappeared but his laughter lingered. Yaiba turned back to Raizo but he had already stood up and begun to walk away as well. Yaiba almost got up to ask him to explain what had just happened but decided against it. He needed to think, and the only way he knew how to do that was through training

The day went on as any other day from that point in. Sayaka woke up, got ready for school and she and Yaiba walked to school. During school they didn't speak much because they had different homerooms but they did eat lunch together. She would lean against a fairly tall tree that shaded a ten foot area around her while Yaiba would actually eat in the tree. She had been annoyed by this the first day or two but she got used to it. She even found it amusing that every so often he would hang by his feet and put his head next to hers if he had something important or private to tell her. This in mind their day had been delightful. That changed however when they went to walk home

"Mine-san!" a masculine voice called out from behind them. They both turned around to find a sweat drenched teenager running full speed at them. They stood still and waited for him to catch up to them. Once he did he bowed respectfully to her which made her blush a tad

"Uh what is it Aoshima-senpai?" she asked hesitantly. Yaiba knew this guy very well. Aoshima Hiyama was a senior and the captain of the Kendo team. He was the only opponent that ever gave Yaiba any sort of trouble and for that reason Yaiba had become dead set on winning the Kendo Championships and proving his dominance.

"Well I came to ask you a question" he started hesitantly. Yaiba chose this moment to become incredibly observant. 'Sweating, nervous, stuttering, talking to girl, prom next week, talking to Sayaka…' all these shards slowly came together in his mind and caused his fists to clench and his pupils to dilate

"What is it?" Sayaka asked obliviously. It could argued Hiyama was one of, if not the most attractive male at their school. This point only further perturbed Yaiba who had come to a sickening conclusion about the prospects of the situation

"Well I wanted to ask you if you would go with me to p-prom" Hiyama lowered his head in embarrassment. Sayaka was taken back by the forwardness of his offer which had come out left field as far as she was concerned. He was, after all, popular, attractive and talented and she was not. At least in her own eyes she wasn't.

"Are you sure?" she asked him with genuine curiosity. He lifted his head and gave her a comforting smile

"Of course. That is if you'll have me" Sayaka blushed brightly at his flattery

"Well okay. That sounds nice" Hiyama beamed at her

"Great! Well I've got to go but I'll see you later. See you at practice Kurogane-san" he said as he ran off waving. Sayaka lifted her hands up and clasped them at her chest as she let out a contented sigh. Yaiba meanwhile was fuming and not making any particular effort to hide it. She apparently didn't notice his mood swing and began skipping along, leaving him behind to sulk

That night Sayaka was fairly secluded. She came out of her room to eat dinner and announce that she had been asked to the prom but aside from that she remained in her room the entire night. This gave the Mine household plenty of opportunity to question Yaiba, who had done nothing but swing at dummy targets in the dojo since the moment they stepped in the door. This was normal on a day when he didn't have Kendo practice, however this day Yaiba had managed to destroy eight of Raizo solid wood targets as well as an entire section of the floor.

"Yaiba" Raizo stated sternly, almost paternally. Yaiba turned to him and gave him a glare that begged him to go away. Instead Goinkyou appeared beside her son with a knowing grin

"You can leave now, I will speak to him" and with a wave of her hand Raizo vacated the dojo. Yaiba turbed his back to the old woman and continued drilling

"Stupid child" she said bluntly. Yaiba stopped his motion for a moment but decided not to turn around. Instead he just continued to practice as she came closer to him "You really care about my granddaughter don't you?" This time he stopped and turned to face her rather swiftly and locked their gazes

"Doesn't matter" he sounded pessimistic, almost hopeless

"What are you saying? Why now are you giving up so easily?" Yaiba swung his head around and gripped the shaft of his sword tightly

"How could I even think about anything like that with her when I'm so…short?" In a move which startled and infuriated Yaiba, the old woman started to laugh hysterically

"Is that really your concern?" she solicited, almost screaming as she wiped the tears from her eyes

"It's true! How could she take me seriously when I'm as tall as YOU!" Goinkyou calmed down and looked at him with soft, sympathetic eyes

"You really are quite the stupid one aren't you Yaiba?" Yaiba frowned and huffed at her

"Anyway it doesn't matter she's already got a date and I have practice to do so-"

"Challenge him" Yaiba's head spun around fast enough to crack his neck

"What's this?" Yaiba's eyes glowed with excitement at the mention of a challenge

"Challenge this boy. Whoever wins takes Sayaka. If he has any pride he won't refuse" Yaiba grinned confidently and placed his sword in his sheath. The old lady smiled at her handiwork as Yaiba exited the dojo

The next day Yaiba hardly spoke to Sayaka. This worried her and she asked him on numerous occasions what was wrong to which he would reply 'nothing'. However when lunch time came around and Sayaka and Yaiba sat at their usual place to eat the silence between them became too much

"Yaiba!" she screamed angrily into the tree

"What is it?" he responded dryly

"What's wrong with you today you're so quiet! It's annoying…" Yaiba snickered and jump down from his perch in the tree

"Nothing's wrong, everything is fine. I'm leaving so I'll see you when I get home" before she could voice an objection he was already gone. 'Okay something really is wrong' she thought resolutely, determined to figure out what it was

The rest of the school day passed by relatively smoothly all things considered. Now Yaiba was at kendo staring his now mortal enemy straight in the face. It was fear that keeping him from announcing his challenge so much as it was just the lack of an appropriate opening. His moment finally came when their sensei instructed them all to take a brief rest and hydrate themselves. As the team left the dojo and headed outside Yaiba took a hold of the back of Hiyama's armor

"What is it Kurogane-san?"

"I want to challenge you! One on one, a duel, me and you!" his proclamation was bold and he puffed his chest out to accentuate his point

"I'm always ready for a challenge, but what are the stakes?" he inquired knowingly with a smug smirk

"Winner takes Sayaka to prom" Hiyama sarcastically rubbed his chin as if he was thinking about the challenge

"Could it be that our own Kurogane-san has feelings for Sayaka-chan?" Yaiba's cheeks were painted in a hearty red hue

"So do you accept my challenge or are you scared?" Yaiba asked, trying to goad him into accepting

"I accept your challenge Kurogane Yaiba. Let's say tomorrow morning before school in the field over by the school grounds"

"First to surrender"

"Or first to knock out"

"I'll see you then Aoshima"

That night went by all too slowly as Yaiba could hardly bring himself to rest. He managed to evade any further questioning from Sayaka about his moodiness though not without countless efforts on her part. Although he wasn't too nervous about his opponent in the duel he was worried about the events that were follow assuming he won (which he was). Unfortunately for him his early departure from the Mine house that morning had not gone unnoticed

When he arrived at the decided meeting place he saw a poised and calm Hiyama standing firmly in his place in his full kendo armor, his wood sword strapped to his back

"Where your armor Kurogane-san?" he asked mockingly

"This is a duel and a duel is not the place for armor. I will fight you in my samurai gi" Hiyama seemed utterly shocked by the outlandish decision of his opponent

"Be practical Kurogane-san I don't want to hurt you" Yaiba looked serious for a split second before breaking out into hysterical laughter. Hiyama was not amused by the disrespect he was being show and began to strip away his own armor plating

"Hey what are you…" Yaiba trailed off as his scoffing ceased and he stared blankly Hiyama who was now wearing nothing but an undershirt and his school uniform pants.

"There, now we can fight as equals. Shall we begin?" Yaiba grinned as he unsheathed his sword and held it out, pointing the tip of the weapon right at Hiyama's head. Without a word of confirmation Hiyama removed his sword from its holster and held it to point at Yaiba. Seeing this as an indication of commencement Yaiba picked up his feet and sprinted full speed at Hiyama

Meanwhile back at the Mine house Sayaka had been awake for twenty minutes or so. She had been awoken by the unmistakable clacking of geta as they strode out the door. She went to the door but before she could catch the person she knew it to be he had already disappeared. She felt a need, for his sake, to go after him and see what was going on. She walked in the direction she supposed he had gone and as she moved forward she realized she was nearing the school. She knew there no way Yaiba would voluntarily go to school early so she decided to check the park near it.

After only a few minutes their match was over. Despite all of the build up to it they really hadn't fought with any sort of strategy or even skill. What it had really come down to was two teenagers in an emotionally charged battle of wills. They had essentially swung at each other in close quarters without any sort of defense. They were both bruised and bloody but Yaiba had been the one to remaining standing. Hiyama was passed out but more from sheer fatigue than the actual injuries. Yaiba let out a deep sigh and leaned up against the trunk of a large tree to rest. As he relaxed his body and tried to take inventory of all his wounds his ear pricked up at the sound of footsteps. He rolled his body slightly to see but still remained pressed against the tree. His eyes widened when he saw none other than the wager of his duel: Mine Sayaka.

It didn't take her long to notice an unconscious male lying face down on the grass in the open. She hastily ran toward the figure with intent to help him. When she reached him and flipped him over she nearly fell backwards. Just the other day he had been so clean and handsome. Now he was covered in scrapes, bruises and blood. She cradled him in her arms and tried to wake him up. After a few tries she realized that waking him was unlikely so she stood up to go find help, and that's when she saw him

He was only half awake and he was just as bludgeoned as Hiyama was. The only real visible difference between the two was that Yaiba was awake which meant she could quell her curiosity

"Yaiba! What did you do!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, unconcerned with the time of day or the public setting

"We had a wager" he breathed out painfully. Her eyes her still full of rage as she stomped toward him

"What kind of wager causes this!" Had he been fully conscious and not beaten half to death he might have lied, but he was so he didn't

"We said whoever won the match between us got to take you to prom" He turned his head away from her with no particular expression accept weariness. The anger that had been boiling up inside her cooled and she was left confused and flattered

"You two…were fighting for me?" Yaiba let out a sardonic huff

"Don't I always end up fighting for you?" She took a few steps closer to him

"I guess you do" a few more steps. His head was still facing away from her

"Sayaka I'm-" before he could apologize he became aware of her proximity out of the corner of his eye. His blush was visible even through the many marks and bruises on his face. He turned his head fully to face her, finding that she was leaning over to meet his eyes

"So you won?" she asked cutely with an almost foreign air of innocence and mildness. He hesitated in fear of the possible rage she could be masking

"Y-Yes…" she beamed at him and reached down to give him a hug. As much as he enjoyed there embrace he had to grit his teeth hard to keep from wailing out in pain. As she drew back he did his best to conceal the agony she had caused him with a faint grin of appreciation. She stood straight up with her hands behind her back and a contented smile

"Come on we need to get him to the school to see the nurse, I hope she's in" Yaiba slowly brought himself to his feet using his sword to support his weight. When he was finally on his feet Sayaka already had Hiyama's right arm around across her shoulders behind her neck "Come on and grab him" Yaiba heaved a heavy sigh and walked over to assist

That day at lunch after Yaiba had spent an hour or so in the nurse's office he was not in the mood to climb to his usual perch in the tree. So instead he decided to sit against the base of the tree next to Sayaka. His shoulder brushed against her arm a few times, none of which were intentionally. Every time they made contact like this they would both blush furiously and scoot away. They had eaten in awkward silence as a result until Sayaka spoke

"Do you think Hiyama will be upset that I'm changing dates?" Yaiba thought about the question chewing a mouthful of his sandwich. When he swallowed he answered

"Nope, I won fair and square and besides he'll find someone else" Sayaka seemed to take solace in his words

"Yaiba?"

"Hmm?"

"Why didn't you just ask me in the first place?" Yaiba ducked his head shamefully, placing his sandwich on his lap. He turned to look at her with a serious expression that was rare for him

"Because I didn't think you would want to go with someone so…short." Sayaka continued to look at him, searching his eyes for humor but found none. Yaiba was on edge as Sayaka remained silent but kept staring at him. Finally after what seemed like a never ending tension between them Sayaka let out a tiny giggle. That giggle turned into a chuckle and that chuckle morphed into full blown hysterical laugh that caused her to roll on the grass. Yaiba huffed and swiveled his head in the other direction while Sayaka struggled to catch her breath. When she was finally able to stop herself she noticed Yaiba was legitimately upset

"Was that really it?" she asked with a lingering grin

"You make it seem so stupid…" he mumbled grumpily. She couldn't help but laugh at how upset he was by the topic. In a moment of generosity she leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek

"That's because it was stupid"


	2. Delivery

**Characters: Juzo Megure and Juzo Midori**

**Title: Delivery**

As the Chief Inspector of the Beika District Police Force Megure Juzo had become well acquainted with many of the inconveniences and hardships that came with his position. One of the most prominent of these many nuisances was the all too common late night at the police department. Over the duration of his career he had endured hundreds of nights within the confines of his office, usually alone taking care of paperwork. This night was one of those nights.

The clock currently read 12:30 a.m and he had been in his office since seven o'clock that morning. Nearly sixteen hours and he had only eaten that morning. Being a stout man he was strained greatly by this lack of sustenance and wished only to go home and indulge in some of his wife's cooking. The images of dumplings, rice and pork danced in his mind and caused a small stream of saliva to protrude from his mouth. 'No' he thought with conviction 'I have to focus'. And just like that he returned to his task.

An hour later the thoughts that had plagued his weary brain began to wreak havoc on him again. He pictured his beautiful wife waiting for him in the kitchen with the table already set and a feast laid out for him. He could almost smell the meat as steam rose from the table. He wanted to run toward it and run amuck but then reality hit him again as a soft knock came at his door. He raised an eyebrow, trying to think of who could possibly need to see him at such an hour. When he opened the door to welcome his late night guest he was astounded to see that his dream seemed to have come to life

"Midori?" he questioned her visit with a great deal of confusion

"I'm sorry if I've disturbed you I just thought you might want something to eat since you've been working so long. I know you never eat well when you're here so I thought I would bring you some home cooking" she held out a ceramic pot covered by a towel. Megure gratefully received the meal and beckoned for her to enter. As she walked by him he removed the towel from his dinner and found it to be none other than the food of his dreams

"Arigato Midori" he thanked genuinely as he breathed in the aroma of the bowl's contents

"It was nothing. I had already made it when you called and told me you would be staying late tonight" Megure shot her a curious glance. Then, while still staring at her he grabbed a piece of pork between his fingers and placed in his mouth. He chewed it a few times and swallowed, giving his wife a disappointed look afterward

"Midori" he said her name trying to feign seriousness. She seemed worried by his tone until he spoke again "Did you really think you could fool your own husband?"

"What are you saying Juzo I would never lie to you" she reassured him with candor

"Midori we've been married twenty years and you thought I wouldn't notice the difference between a fresh meal you prepared and a reheated one?" She placed a hand on her chest and ducked her to face the floor almost shamefully

"I suppose I should have known you would notice. I just didn't want you to worry" Megure smiled warmly at her as she pulled her head up to face him again

"I know you worry and I'm sorry. I promise I'll try to be home as soon as I can but I think you should go home and sleep" Midori nodded and rose from the chair in front of his desk. As she exited the room she could hear him devouring the food she had made him with blinding speed. She blushed faintly as he began to mutter words between his bites that sounded somewhere along the lines of 'best wife' 'love her' 'buy her something' 'vacation' 'great pork' 'best wife'


	3. Chubby Chaser

**Characters: Miiko Naeko and Detective Chiba(They still haven't given him a first name)**

**Title: Chubby Chaser**

Miike Naeko and Detective Chiba had begun dating over five months ago and they felt comfortable enough with one another to stay overnight when the situation called for it. The previous evening they had both been assigned late shifts and seeing as Naeko's apartment was half an hour away from the station Chiba offered to let her stay with him. She gratefully accepted his invitation and that night they shared a bed for the first time.

She was startled the next morning however when she found Chiba had vacated the bed. She called him promptly and found out he had been called in to assist with a case long before she had woken up. She understood his lack of control over the situation and genially thanked him for the night before. Seeing as Chiba's roommate was at work as well Naeko saw no harm or foul in traipsing around his apartment clad in the same oversized t-shirt of his she had slept in the night before. She enjoyed the contrast of size and feeling so small in his gigantic article of clothing. As she walked around the area and analyzed the living space she suddenly felt a surge of hunger rush through her slender body. Seeing as Chiba was her boyfriend she saw no problem in helping herself to his food. She strode into the kitchen and with a dainty flick of the wrist swung the refrigerator door open

"Hmm?" she raised an eyebrow curiously upon spotting a box of canned drinks that she didn't recognize. Chiba was for the most part consistent with the food and drinks he bought so for him to stray away from his usual soft drink was surprising. She removed one of the can and was mortified when the front of the can said

_Slim Fast_

_For Fast and Effective Weight Loss_

_Chocolate with other natural flavors_

She hastily shoved the substance back in the box and slammed the refrigerator shut. She leaned her back against the cool metal of the appliance and shook her head in disapproval

"Baka…" she muttered as she walked to Chiba's bedroom to clothe herself. Once she was dressed in her uniform again she exited the apartment, now with a specific goal in mind.

When Naeko arrived at the Beika precinct she felt strange. Although she had been working in the Beika district for almost seven months she was still a traffic patroller and therefore she wasn't a familiar face around the department building. Unfortunately there was one person who recognized her, her superior officer Miyamoto Yumi.

"Hey Naeko-chan I though you had the day off today?" Naeko paused to formulate her response, keeping in mind that he boss was a notorious gossip

"I do I'm just her to pick something up" Naeko forced a smile, earning a sly grin from Yumi

"Could this visit have something to do with your boyfriend Chiba-kun?" she asked knowingly causing Naeko to blush heartily

"Uh h-hai" she confirmed, darting her eyes away from Yumi who was now staring at her with burning curiosity

"Really…." Yumi trailed off in a frighteningly contemplative tone

"It's nothing I just came to ask him something!" Naeko blurted out in a momentary lapse of self-control. She quickly threw her hands up to her face, covering her mouth in an effort to prevent any more incriminating material from escaping it

"Then why all the sudden are you blushing?" she quirked her eyebrow in a silent effort to extract the real reason for her visit. Naeko kept her hands on her mouth but starting to move her eyes around the surrounding area, trying to avoid Yumi's gaze

"Uh that is uh…well what I mean is I uh….." Yumi leaned her head in a little closer to Naeko's just to add further pressure to the already nervous young woman

"Well?" she asked with a prolonged vowel sound and a sly grin

"I found something in his refrigerator this morning" she started, finally caving to the inquisition of her superior. Yumi took a step back and gave her underling a puzzled look

"In the refrigerator? Wait you were at his house this morning? Does that mean…" Yumi trailed off and let implication speak for itself. Naeko flushed a dark crimson at the question. Although it wasn't the first time she had slept at his apartment the night they had shared was particularly special and it was still fresh in her memory. She could only nod her head gingerly causing Yumi to scream in excitement for her subordinate and embrace her almost violently, swinging her back and forth before releasing her

"It's not a big deal…" Naeko mumbled as Yumi took a deep breath after exerting a significant amount of energy

"Not a big deal? It's a huge deal, was it your first time?" Yumi's interest was almost like that of an older sibling which touched Naeko and made her more willing to answer

"Hai"

"And how was it?" Naeko's blush returned as she recalled the physical and emotion satisfaction she had experienced

"It was wonderful. He was gentle…" Yumi giggled girlishly at the description

"He seems like the sort of man that would be. Tell me, you used protection right? I wouldn't my up and coming recruit weighed down by a baby already" Naeko looked at her confusedly for a moment until it dawned on her what Yumi had been implying when she told her she spent the night

"Y-Yumi-san! We did not have sex!" she almost screamed with her eyes pressed closed and her hands clenched at her chest. Yumi leapt backward, startled by the sudden outburst

"But you said-"

"I spent the night and I slept in his _bed_! I didn't actually _sleep_ with him! You're such a pervert!" Yumi gaped at the blaring misconception she had made

"Gomen Naeko-chan I just thought that's what you were talking about" they both stood silently for a few seconds, trying to allow the dust to settle and the awkwardness of the situation to blow over. Finally Naeko spoke up in a hushed voice

"Weren't you supposed to be going somewhere when you saw me?" she asked, causing Yumi's eyes to widen

"Oh no you're right! I was supposed to be relieving one of the other officers! I'll talk to you later Naeko-chan" she said hurriedly as she sprinted by her and headed to her car. Naeko watched Yumi drive off before turning back toward the entrance of the precinct. She took a deep breath in through her nose to empower herself and then threw open the glass doors and marched in

When Naeko appeared from behind the doors of the elevator the entire floor turned to acknowledge her entrance. She shuddered under the intense gaze of the swarm of law enforcement agents as she slowly inched her way out of the elevator. Once the elevator doors closed behind her most of the attention she was being paid disappeared. She sighed in relief and strode forward to find her boyfriend whose desk she had visited on a number of occasions. When she arrived at the aforementioned desk she found it to be vacant and she felt a tinge of disappointment and frustration. She turned to leave the building when she bumped into a thin, tan skinned detective

"Oh gomen Naeko-san" he said apologetically. As Takagi offered her a hand up Sato's voice rang out through the office

"Wataru!" she screamed, apparently in dire need of his company

"Gomen Naeko-san I have to see what she wants" Takagi spun around to leave but was stopped in his tracks by a hand on his shoulder

"Wait Takagi-kun I need to ask you, have you seen Chiba-kun today?" Takagi twisted his head around to give her is attention while the rest of his body continued to face forward

"Uh hai. He's on assignment with Shiratori-san he should be back in ten or twenty minutes" Naeko nodded to him gratefully and smiled

"Arigato Takagi-kun. I think I'll just wait here for him." Takagi accepted her decision and gave her a wave and a smile as he ran off to see Sato. 'I swear, ever since their engagement Miwako-san has had that guy wrapped around her finger. It's actually pretty cute' she giggled to herself at the thought of her coworkers and their relationship. She shook herself free of her thoughts and decided to take a seat at Chiba's desk. Soon she found herself rifling through the various case files and personal knickknacks that littered his disorganized work area. As she ran her eyes across the mountains of papers she spotted something that interested her. It was a picture frame and she lifted it up and brought it close to her face. The frame was actually split into two smaller portions so it could fit two pictures as opposed to one. The picture on the left side was of her and Chiba as kids in the Teitan Primary School AV Club. He was the pudgiest child in the club she remembered and she had always found him adorable for it. The picture on the right was of them at the Beika Metropolitan Police's annual company picnic. They had been dating only a few weeks but she had still felt comfortable enough to plant a hard kiss on his cheek for the photo. He was blushing almost to his ears which made the memory all the more amusing.

"What are you doing here?" Chiba asked from behind her, causing her to practically leap out of his chair. She faced him with a healthy hue of red coated on her cheeks

"Oh nothing I was just here looking at uh…" she could feel her palms sweating 'why am I so nervous? Just tell him' she planted her feet resolutely and shot him a determined glare. Chiba was startled by the sudden contrast of facial expressions

"Naeko-chan what is it?" he asked her gently with an air of concern

"Why are you on a diet?" Chiba raised his eyebrow at her and gave her a puzzled expression

"Diet?"

"Yes 'diet'. I found those imported diet drinks in your refrigerator this morning" her tone was calculating and interrogative

"Uh well-"

"Why do you think you need to lose weight? Is it to impress me? Or is it to impress some other woman?" Chiba's countenance morphed into one on the verge of full blown anger

"How could you say that? You think I would be unfaithful Naeko?" his rage simmered and melted into despair and hurt

"Chiba-kun…." She realized the error of her allegation and reached a hand out to touch his cheek. He gingerly placed his hand over hers to secure her hand in place, as if she would run away otherwise

"I would never be unfaithful Naeko, and those weren't mine, they were Lieu-san's. He is planning to compete in a triathlon so he's been trying to lose weight" Naeko drew her hand away from his face and held it to her chest

"So you're…" Chiba sent her a grin

"No Naeko-chan I'm not going on a diet. But why did it bother you so much when you thought I was?" Naeko giddily jumped forward and wrapped her arms around her man. She pressed the side of her head to his torso and enjoyed how warm and soft his stomach was

"Because I like you the way you are" Chiba laughed and placed his hand on top of her head. She squeezed him harder as he lovingly stroked her hair. The moment was pristine but like all moments of this nature it had to be ended

"Chiba get to work on those case reports they're not going to write themselves!" Shiratori barked, unconcerned by the situation his subordinate was currently in. Chiba sighed as Naeko released him and allowed him to breathe once again

"I guess I should get back to work" he mumbled, scratching the back of his head and darting his eyes in every direction except forward. Naeko giggled at his timidity and kissed him chastely on the cheek

"Yes you should Chiba-keiji. I'll see you tonight" she reassured him cheerfully

"Wait so does that mean you're…you know, coming over again tonight?"

"Of course, someone has to watch what you eat" Chiba was completely baffled by her words but chose to focus on them later. It wasn't all that important anyway as long as she was coming over

As Naeko entered the elevator she silently mused 'I'll have to go shopping on the way back. Tonight: battered pork with chow mein and fried shrimp!'


	4. Bedtime Story

**Characters: Toyama Kazuha and Hattori Heiji( with Hattori Kagami and Hattori Kyoko)**

**Title: Bedtime Story**

"A story?" Kazuha looked down at her twin six year old daughters with soft eyes

"Hai! We want a story before bed!" Kazuha giggled at the girls' enthusiasm

"But isn't that your father's job?" the two young girls who in most instances were mirror images of one another slumped down into their blankets, covering the bottom halves of their faces. Kazuha raised an eyebrow to their actions until her technically oldest child poked her head out and sent her mother a glum frown

"But he's never home to do it anymore, he's always working" Kazuha reached and pulled her daughters into a warm embrace, placing her head between their's

"You know he has to work. He keeps us safe and puts the bad people in jail"

"I know it's just…" Kazuha released her children and looked at them both with a serious expression

"Kagami, Kyoko, you know your father loves you right?" they both nodded with their eyes averted downward. Kazuha grinned knowingly and pushed them both down onto their backs, pulling the covers up over their bodies

"Kasan…"

"Okay I'll tell you my favorite story. It's about a maid and a prince" her daughters laughed giddily

"Yay! Is she pretty mommy? The maid, is she pretty? Is she like Cinderella?" They two hyperactive five year olds were now out of their blankets and kneeling on the bed in front of Kazuha. Kazuha was taken back for a moment by the reaction of her children but settled down and beamed happily at her daughters

"Yes sweetheart, or at least the prince thought so" she blushed slightly, unnoticed by her daughters

"Well tell us!"

"Yeah come on 'kasan!" Kazuha put her hands up defensively

"Okay okay calm down. Now before I start I want you two to lie down" her tone was genial yet authoritative and the twins complied with her condition. Once they were under the blankets of their shared bed once again Kazuha pulled a chair up from the other side of the room and sat down beside the bed

"We're ready!" the two girls announced excitedly

"Okay well this story starts out in a land far away, in a majestic castle. In this castle resided King Heizo and Queen Shizuka" Kazuha laughed internally and made a mental note to tell her daughters their grandparents' actual names at some point

"That King's name is like daddy's!" Kagami pointed out

"It is isn't it? Anyway as I was saying, the two monarchs had one son, Jii. Jii was the perfect child; he was smart, athletic and he was handsome to boot. He was the greatest swordsman in the kingdom and everyone respected him even despite his young age."

"He sounds great!" Kyoko chimed in with starry eyes

"He is- I mean was, he _was_ great. Anyway, the King and Queen had been pressuring Jii to find a wife. Jii, being there only child, was destined to assume the throne but he needed a queen before he could do that. The only problem was the prince was incredibly dense and knew nothing of women. Fortunately his best friend was a girl and she did her best to help him understand"

"Oh mommy is she the maid!" Kazuha patted Kagami on the top of the head

"Observant just like your father, yes she is. Her name was Hisako and she was adopted by the castle at a very young age. She was only five when she met the prince and since they met they had been inseparable friends. So much so even that they wore matching rings, each with an inscription"

"Oh what'd they say!" Kagami screamed desperately

"They each read 'Joumae soshite kagi'. Hisako had them inscribed as a reminder that they knew each other better than anyone else did"

"That's so romantic!" Kyoko wailed, hardly able to keep still

"Yes it is. She had those made when she was just seven years old. After that they always wore them because Hisako believed the rings would keep them safe from harm"

"Just like the necklaces you and 'tosan wear" Kazuha reached a hand up to cover her omimari

"My Yuki aren't you especially clever tonight" she complimented her almost spitefully "As I was saying, they were best friends. However, as the years went on Hisako began to grow fonder of Jii and soon she fell madly in love with him. She never spoke a word about it to him because she was certain he did not feel the same way about her" Kagami and Kyoko were now silent and attentive. Kyoko had even developed the faintest presence of redness in her eyes

"But isn't it obvious how much she loves him?" Kyoko mumbled. Kazuha's eyebrow twitched as an expression of irritation crept onto her features

"You would think so wouldn't you? Well let's continue the story. Jii had been courted by dozens of young woman since his eighteenth birthday. Some were rich, some were powerful, some were talented but they all went unnoticed. You see the prince's ability to hardly bat an eyelash at even the most gorgeous woman that came to the castle had become legendary." Kyoko and Kagami shook their head slowly in unison with expressions of disapproval

"So dumb" Kagami muttered, receiving a nod in agreement from her sister

"Yes he is- WAS!" Kazuha blurted out awkwardly "I meant was, he _was_ quite stupid. Well one day the King and Queen decided to put an end to the legend and they called none other than Hisako into their chambers for a private conversation. This was not an uncommon event for them, many times in the past they had asked her questions about their son since she seemed to spend the most time with him. Although they hadn't approved of the prince associating with a maid at first they eventually accepted the relationship and even became rather fond of Hisako" Kazuha stopped for a moment to make sure the two five year olds were still on the same page as her. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment when she noticed Kagami had fallen asleep. Kyoko, however, was wide awake awaiting the next part of the fairytale

"'kasan?" she asked, trying to break her mother out of the trance she had fallen into

"Oh gomen Kyoko I was just….doesn't matter. As I was saying, Hisako went to see the King and Queen. When she got there Heizo and Shizuka seemed more serious than they usually did.

'What is it you need?' she asked

'Hisako-chan I assume you are aware that Jii is now off marrying age yes?' Hisako looked confused by the question answered nonetheless

'Hai' Shizuka and Heizo grinned at one another and turned to her

'Hisako-chan you and Jii have been close friends since you were hardly old enough to read and write. You have been through many obstacles together and have become inseparable because of it' Hisako was still confused by the words the King was saying but continued to nod and listen

'Hisako-chan, we want you to marry Jii' Shizuka stated bluntly. Hisako almost fainted at the words but somehow managed to stay on her feet

'We know it may seem strange but we need you to do this for us, he needs a Queen' Hisako could only stare at them in silence"

"But 'kasan if she loves him why doesn't she just say 'yes!'?"

"Because Kyoko, she thought that he would be unhappy with her as a wife. She was, after all, just a maid" Kyoko was angered and disturbed by the concept

"But that doesn't matter they've been together for so long he obviously loves her too!" Kazuha looked at her child with wide eyes

"Well" a deep, masculine voice said softly from the open doorway. Kazuha swung around to face the person she already knew the voice belonged to

"Daddy!" Kyoko cheered. Heiji strode over to the bed and lifted his daughter out of the bed, holding her above his head

"Hey sweetheart" Kyoko giggled happily as Heiji laid her down on the bed and planted a chaste kiss to her forehead

"You're home early" Kazuha commented pleasantly. Heiji turned to her and gifted her with a loving kiss, causing their young daughter to cringe in disgust

"Eww!" Heiji smirked against her lips but did not relent. Finally after a few more seconds Kazuha placed a hand on Heiji's chest and pushed him off of her

"We're in the middle of a story here" Kazuha said feigning frustration

"So I realized. Well by all means finish you're story, I'd like to here what happens to this Jii-san" Heiji sent her another smile, this time to silently mock her. She brushed off the implication and turned back to her daughter

"Where was I Kyoko?"

"Hisako was about to marry Jii!" she answered ecstatically

"That's right, so after her talk with the King and Queen Hisako was told to go to her chambers and wait. While she was waiting Jii was called in to see his parents"

"The King and Queen?"

"Right. They told him that if he was willing they wanted to arrange a marriage between he and Hisako. He was surprised at first but after a vast amount of coaxing he caved and accepted the arrangement"

"So Jii and Hisako got married!" Kyoko asked, now out of her blankets again

"Yeah did they?" Heiji asked, mirroring his daughter's excitement sarcastically. Kazuha raised her hand toward Heiji and lightly flicked him on the forehead.

"Aho!" he snapped back rubbing the sore spot on his forehead. She chuckled at his overreaction and faced her daughter again

"That's right honey. They were married and lived happily ever after. Now, it's for you to go to sleep" Kyoko slumped back under her covers

"Hai" she mumbled in defeat. Kazuha stood up then bent over to press a kiss to daughter's cheek. Kyoko smiled as her eyes closed, giving in to fatigue she had been ignoring. Heiji took Kazuha by the hand and led her out of the room. Just before she was completely out of the room she managed to flick the lights off then closed the door behind her. Once they were in their own bedroom Heiji pulled Kazuha toward him and wrapped his arms tightly around her, allowing no exit or escape

"That story was really lame" he stated plainly

"Aho it's my favorite story!" she retorted with a youthful fire in her eyes

"I know it is. Although it was kind of inaccurate" Kazuha raised a curious eyebrow

"Why do you say that?"

"Well for one you make me sound like the attractive one" he lowered his head and pressed their foreheads together softly. She was still smiling from his previous comment when she realized how close they suddenly were "and two, my parents didn't make me do anything, I told you how I felt of my own free will"

"I guess that's true but it took you long enough" Heiji leaned in and kissed her passionately, stealing whatever words she may have prepared right out of her mouth. When he finally broke their lip lock she looked dazed, almost awestruck

"But it was worth the wait right?" he solicited, giving her a melodramatic pair of puppy-dog eyes. She grinned in amusement and leaned up to press a chaste kiss to his cheek. Then she moved her head slightly so he could feel her breath on his ear

"Everyday" Heiji beamed joyfully at the reassurance in her words

**Kyoko and Kagami can both be translated to mean mirror**

**Joumae soshite kagi = lock and key**


	5. After Hours

**Characters: Akai Shuuichi and Miyano Akemi**

**Title: After Hours**

"Another successful mission Rye" Boss congratulated Shuuichi over the phone.

"Arigato" he responded amiably

"I have no other assignments for you tonight so you are free to do as you please" Shuuichi was understandably surprised by his superior's statement

"Sir?" he questioned, completely thrown off guard by the words he had just heard

"It would be wise to accept my gracious offer and not to question it" Shuuichi immediately understood Boss' meaning and decided it best to abide by the advice he had been given

"Hai" with that Shuuichi hung up. He stood in awe of the strange opportunity he had been given and contemplated ways in which he could use the free night that now lied ahead of him. It was only eight o'clock, leaving him plenty of time to enjoy his evening. Upon meditation the only thing he could think of that struck him as fun came in the form of a number on the speed dial of his phone

"Dai-kun!" Akemi sang cheerfully into the phone after seeing Shuuichi's name on the caller I.D

"Are you busy tonight?" he solicited with a certain softness in his voice that for the most part Akemi was the only recipient of

"No not really why?"

"Do you want to get dinner?" Akemi blushed at the request. Although they had been dating for some time already they were rarely allowed such an opportunity due to their employment. Often they were in different countries at different times which made it impossible to even have the tiniest amount of contact with one another outside of phone calls.

"Of course! What time?"

"I'll pick you up from your apartment in thirty minutes"

"Hai" and just like that their dinner date was set. The second her phone hit the table Akemi flew to her closet and began rifling through it's contents. Luckily for her, much like many of the other female agents of the Organization she was often called to infiltrate upscale parties in the interest of either information or theft. Because of this she had accumulated a number of very elegant dresses over the years, leaving her with plenty of options as far as attire was concerned.

Thirty minutes went by in a flash and just like that Shuuichi was standing at Akemi's front door. When she heard his knocking she blushed furiously and scrambled for her bathrobe. She scampered to the door and opened, revealing a handsome Shuuichi, clad in a black long sleeve button up dress shirt and black slacks. His hair wasn't done and he was still wearing his beanie, but it was nonetheless overly fancy for his usual taste.

"What's this?" Shuuichi asked with a knowing grin as Akemi grabbed at her robe nervously

"G-Gomen Dai-kun I was just…getting dressed" she could hardly even look at him as she stammered on

"I should hope so. Well I'll wait outside while you finish up then we can go" Akemi nodded and left the doorway, leaving the door ajar so as not to close it in Shuuichi's face. After another five minutes a call came from the inside of her apartment

"Ne Dai-kun, can you help me?" she asked, causing Shuuichi to hesitantly step into the humble abode and scan the area. Despite their close relationship he had never actually stepped foot inside her living space. As he walked at a snail's pace, taking in every sight there was to behold and committing them to memory another more impatient call came bursting out "Dai-kun!" Shuuichi quickly gathered his bearings and followed the voice to the back room to find Akemi struggling with a zipper

"What is it?" he asked calmly, retaining his usual level of suaveness

"Oh it's just this zipper, I can't reach would you get it for me?" she requested in an innocent tone, earning an almost invisible blush from Shuuichi. He stepped forward and placed his fingers on the zipper. Only then did he realize exactly how far down the zipper actually reached. The dress was a gorgeous sequin sliver that ran down just a few inches past her thigh. The zipper ran from the small of her back all the way up to her neck, meaning that currently her entire bare skinned back was exposed to him. For the first time since he had hit puberty Shuuichi felt a small trace of blood on the outside of his nostril. He shook his head to regain his focus and started to pull the zipper up slowly. As the zipper moved upward a little further a mind-melting realization sunk in 'She's not wearing a….' his thoughts trailed off, as they were no longer in control of anything. Akai Shuuichi had always been known for his poise and composure, so it was quite a surprise to Akemi when he literally froze in place with his fingers on her zipper

"Dai-kun? Dai-kun?" she turned her head as best she could without ripping the zipper out of his fingers. From what she could see out of the corner of her eye it seemed like he was just…staring at her. That was when the epiphany that had dumbfounded Shuuichi dawned on Akemi as well. In a flash she swatted the zipper out of his hand and sprinted to the bathroom. It was until the door slammed closed that Shuuichi was awakened from his libido-empowered trance. He swiveled his head around the room only to discover it was empty. He was confused momentarily until he heard a small whimper echo out from the bathroom a few feet away. He crept closer to it and pressed his ear to the door. He couldn't hear her completely but he was able to pick up certain key phrases like 'so stupid' and 'embarrassing' and 'such an idiot'. That was all the convincing Shuuichi needed to intervene in the situation and in a skilled motion he pulled out a small metal pick from his back pocket and gently pierced the inside of the lock. After a few precise twists and turns the lock popped open and he pushed the door open, revealing a downtrodden Akemi. The mascara she had been wearing was now streaming down her face and she was facing away from him with the back of her dress still unzipped. He checked his nose and swiftly wiped away any remnants of blood before approaching her

"Akemi…" he whispered comfortingly. She turned to him and looked into his eyes with a poorly hidden degree of cheerlessness

"Gomen Dai-kun, you can leave if you want" Shuuichi smiled warmly at her and grabbed her by the shoulders. He lifted her off of the toilet seat she had been sitting on, never breaking eye contact with her. She looked at him with a mixture of confusion and contentment. In a movement hardly even registered by Akemi's vision he slid his arm behind both of her knees and swung her upward. Now she was in full blown shock as Shuuichi carried her bridal style out of the bathroom without so much as a word. He strode over to her couch and carefully placed her on it, lying down on her back across the length of it. She opened her mouth to speak but was promptly cut off by Shuuichi's authoritative yet caring tone

"I think we should stay here tonight" Akemi blushed at his forwardness and the masculine way he was standing over with his eyes glued to her. She gave him a shy nod which was all he required for approval. He stepped forward and clicked on her television. After sifting through channels for a moment he found some sort of drama movie and decided it would be sufficient. He then stepped back toward the couch and stared with an almost foreign expression of uncertainty. Akemi realized what was concerning him and she took action to quell it by pulling herself into an upright sitting position, leaving him plenty of room on the sofa to accompany her. He smiled and accepted her silent invitation, taking a spot to her left on the soft piece of furniture. Once he was comfortable she positioned herself to lie down again, placing her head on his lap and her hand on his thigh. Shuuichi was taken back by the intimacy of the position but eventually eased into it and even became so bold as to run his fingertips through her hair, painting her face with a pleasant smile.

**Three Hours Later**

Shuuichi looked on at his girlfriend with gentle eyes as she lied asleep on his lap. The movie he had found turned out to be an old American film Gone with the Wind which was very long and very dull. As the movie credits rolled Shuuichi wondered how he had managed to stay awake through the entire black and white romance. He turned his wrist which was attached to the hand currently resting on Akemi's head and found it to be after eleven o'clock. Being the gentleman he was he slowly hoisted Akemi back into his arms and tiptoed into her bedroom. He peeled back the comforter on her bed and lied her down. Then he pulled the blanket up to her chin, making sure to tuck her in thoroughly and walked back toward the door. He shot her sleeping form one last grin before he exited the room and flicked off the lights

**The Next Morning**

After already completing one assignment that morning Shuuichi was taking a much needed rest. As he reached for the cup of coffee he had poured himself he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He fished it out and pressed it to his ear, taking no time to check the caller I.D

"Who is it?" he asked indifferently

"Dai-kun!" Akemi roared into his ear, causing him to shudder in fear of his woman's wrath

"What is it?" he solicited with a fusion of fear and concern

"Next time you put me to bed at least take my dress of first I have red marks all over me now!" Shuuichi almost fell over at her words but chose not to question them

"Gomen Akemi" after all, next time he would remember that and next time, he would do as she asked.


	6. Something a Husband Should Never See

**Characters: Koizumi Akako and Hakuba Saguru**

**Title: Something a Husband Should Never See**

"Uh doctor?" Hakuba whispered cautiously from behind the obstetrician, causing him to turn around with a raised eyebrow

"Yes Hakuba-san what do you need?" Hakuba darted his eyes around the hallway in front of his wife's operating room, searching the depths of his mind for the right words

"I just…think you should know, my wife she's not…normal" the doctor chuckled lightly at Hakuba's seemingly melodramatic concern

"Hakuba-san relax, I understand your concern but it's best if you try to calm down and leave this to the professionals" Hakuba's anxiety grew further at the doctor's overly composed demeanor

"No doctor you're not listening I-"he was cut off by a nurse who walked out of the room beside them and tapped him on the shoulder

"Sir Hakuba Akako is going into labor we need you in the room" the doctor turned and nodded to her then turned back to Hakuba

"Well, this is it Hakuba-san. I think it would be best if you were there with her at this time, she'll be in a lot of pain" a stream of sweat streaked down the side of Hakuba's face as he swallowed hard and nodded to the doctor. The doctor smiled comfortingly at him, empathizing with his situation and led him into the delivery room. He was welcomed into the room by an ear-shattering shriek from the mouth of his usually beautiful and soft-spoken wife

"Saguru!" he felt a strong tingle work its way up his spine at the sight of his lover. He hesitantly approached her and, in a bold move reached out and grasped her hand. He was relived to see the pain and fury in her features subside and give way to a subtle grin

"How are you doing?" he solicited with genuine concern, staring deep into her eyes. She turned her head to face to the ceiling and pressed the lids of her eyes together

"It hurts, Saguru, but it's nothing too serious yet" Hakuba kissed her hand and began to caress the top of it with his thumb. She let out a soft sigh and turned back to him "did you tell the doctor?" Hakuba knew what she was referring to but feared the answer he knew he had to give her

"N-No…" she looked at him in a combination of disappointment and confusion

"Why not? Do you know what that means?" Hakuba hung his head in shame as his wife scolded him

"Gomen Akako I was trying to tell him but we were interrupted when the nurse told him you were going into labor" Akako rolled her eyes and pressed the back of her head firmly against her pillow

"This is going to get very bad Saguru…" Hakuba continued his ministrations and set her a worried gaze. He opened his mouth to speak but was silenced when her grip on his hand tightened ten fold and her face contorted in pain. Without thinking he responded to her grasp by squeezing her hand with just as much strength. After a few strained groans of pain the contraction passed and Akako slowly caught her breath.

"How far apart are the contractions?" the doctor asked professionally as the nurse thumbed through the clipboard in front of Akako's hospital bed

"Um…approximately three minutes sir" the doctor grabbed his chin and mulled over the information. After a few moments of silent thought he strode forward and approached Akako on the side of the bed opposite Hakuba

"How are you feeling?" Akako's eyebrows curved as she was understandably annoyed by the ridiculous question

"Wonderful you idiot! How do you think I'm feeling!" Hakuba quickly brought his head up beside hers and began whispering encouragements into her ear. The redness in her face gradually faded as his words of comfort seeped into her psyche. She leaned her head against his and kissed his temple gratefully. Their pleasant moment was brusquely impeded upon by another contraction which caused Akako to roar out in agony. As her pain drew on a few utensils on the operating table beside the bed began to shake and the fluorescent lights above their heads flickered a few times. Once her misery subsided these phenomenon ceased, leaving all those present on the room thoroughly terrified.

"Uh n-nurse go to maintenance and have them bring someone up here now" the obstetrician commanded with horror and concern laced in his voice. The nurse complied with his request and rushed out of the room. Once she was out of sight the doctor turned back to face the pregnant woman

"Gomen Hakuba-san, we'll have this matter cleared up in a moment. Until then just try to control your breathing and stay calm" Akako still had her eyes gripped shut as she slowly recovered from the contraction. Once her breath had leveled she once again glared at the doctor angrily

"Could you please remind me why I'm not being given any pain remedies" the obstetrician gazed at her in fear, analyzing her face which was worn and sweat ridden. He choked on the saliva in his throat and hesitantly muttered

"B-Because you refused morphine…" Akako's eyes lit up in rage and her hair literally stood up. Hakuba cringed as his wife's 'darker' side came forth and made itself known. Her eyes darkened and she tweaked her head to the right

"I told you I couldn't use _your_ medicine, that's why I have my own" she barked, never breaking her stare with the now trembling doctor. By this point he had already backed up to the wall on the opposite end of the room and was clinging it for dear life

"B-B-But ma'am as I told you earlier we can't allow the use of holistic medicines here, it's a hospital" hardly an instant passed after he finished his statement before the lights in the room began to flicker again. While this was going on the table beside Akako's bed which had previously quivered for no apparent reason began to shake violently, causing all of the equipment on it to scatter on the floor

"Akako…" Hakuba whispered gently in her ear, trying to calm her down. Unfortunately his thoughtful attempt had no effect on her as her eyes rolled back into her head. Observing this the doctor did as any wise man would do and sprinted full speed out of the room waving his arms in absolute horror. Hakuba placed his head in his hands as the gravity of the situation slowly dawned on him 'my wife is a witch, she's minutes away from giving birth and our doctor just abandoned us. What am I-'his thoughts were interrupted by an ear-piercing scream from Akako. Although she had no way of communicating her condition considering her…condition, he knew that the time had come and he had to do something. Thinking quickly he, by the grace of God, managed to release his hand from Akako's death grip and walked around to the front of the bed. Her legs were already in position and a sheet was draped across her lower body to block any unwanted viewing. Hakuba shuddered at the thought of what he was about to witness but as another shriek escaped the lips of his wife he knew what he had to do. In a moment of courage, love and a degree of stupidity Hakuba lifted the sheet hanging from Akako's lower legs and peered into what a husband should never have to set eyes on. He held back any feelings of disgust or uneasiness and focused on the task at hand. Though he had absolutely no experience with delivering children Hakuba was an intelligent man and he possessed enough common sense to know what he needed to do. 'There's the head' he confirmed internally as he wiped the sweat from his brow "Okay love, push!" he roared demandingly, hoping his voice might penetrate the trance she currently in. Whether by his words or by her own intuition she pushed and a much more pleasant cry filled the room. With that sound the lights in the room normalized and the quaking on the ground ceased. Akako's eyes returned to their usual red and her hair gently trickled back down into its regular place, though not without some ruffles.

"Saguru…" she whispered with an innocent look in her eyes. Without any need for an explanation Hakuba brought the child, which was now clad in a white towel over to her and placed it in her arms

"You're a mother now" he said with a warm smile which returned without taking her gaze off of the baby

"And you're a father" the room fell silent as they both basked in the ambiance of the moment. However the sound of a door creaking was soon heard in the room

"Uh I was told there's a problem with the lights…"


	7. First Date: You Already Said It

**Characters: Shiratori Ninzaburo and Kobayashi Sumiko**

**Title: First Date: You already said it**

"Shiratori-keiji why are you sweating so much?" Conan asked innocently trying his best to hide a knowing grin

"Oh Conan-kun uh…no reason I guess it's just a little warm out here" Conan continued to play out his childish façade as he stood outside his homeroom teacher's classroom with the detective

"But I just saw the thermostat and it says its only 75 degrees. That's not hot enough to make someone sweat Shiratori-keiji" Conan's brutal scrutiny had only caused Shiratori to sweat more as he wiped his drenched palms on the outside of his suit top

"Uh well it's a hot day I mean-"

"Are you nervous about asking out Kobayashi-sensei?" Haibara's eerily even voice chimed in from beside Conan. Shiratori by this point was starting to mount some serious curiosity as to the ages of the children beside him

"W-What? I mean I…"

"Why are you so nervous now? You already told her you love her and she accepted you" Mitsuhiko stated in a frighteningly adult manner. Shiratori took to thinking as the child's point penetrated his logical mind

"I…don't know. I guess it's just that I don't want anything to go wrong or have her reject me…"

"Don't worry, we knows she has special feelings for you too!" Ayumi chanted from the inspector's other side

"And you can't go wrong as long as you take her out for eel and rice!" Genta added with a small trace of drool moving down the side of his mouth

"Is that all you ever think out Genta-kun!" Mitsuhiko asked with a condescending tone

"What's that supposed to mean!" Genta snarled back with a clenched fist as Mitsuhiko took a step closer to him, crossing Haibara in the process. His anger subsided as a gentle palm pushed itself against his chest

"Calm down this is no place for fighting" Haibara's demeanor was cold and indifferent as usual but Mitsuhiko had somehow come to find that quality about her endearing. He took a deep breath and stepped back

"Gomen Genta-kun" Genta laughed heartily and scratched the back of his head

"It's alright" the both looked amiably at one another but soon their focus returned to the out of place adult between them who seemed just as, if not more perturbed than he had been before

"I think it would be prudent for you to act now" Haibara stated definitively, leaving no room for argument. Despite his strong urge to question her advanced language and conduct he agreed with her words and nervously turned the door knob in front of him. She was apparently preoccupied with the paperwork she was attending to because she didn't turn toward him as he entered the classroom.

"Uh Kobayashi-sensei?" he muttered with a faint redness blotching his cheeks. Upon hearing his voice her face immediately blazed a furious scarlet and her head shot up from the work on her desk

"Oh Shiratori-san! What are you d-doing here?" her anxiety amused Shiratori who found that feature of hers adorable and he sent her a confident grin as he started forward

"I've come to pick you up" he said with an unwavering smirk. She looked at him puzzled as her blush intensified with every step he took toward her

"But I drove here today I…" she trailed off and froze in embarrassment as he approached her desk and bent forward to bring himself to eye level with her

"I will take care of everything. So, what do you say?" Despite his cool exterior countenance his heart was pounding and his mind was running in circles as he awaited her response. Though she was still partially paralytic she managed to give him a very small nod. A smile gradually formed on her face as a comfortable silence enveloped the room. There intimate moment was thoroughly shattered by the sound of cheering children which traveled from the hallway through the door which Shiratori had left just barely cracked open

"Yay Kobayashi-sensei and Shiratori-keiji!" Ayumi chanted in representation of the entire group of kids. Genta and Mitsuhiko shared Ayumi's enthusiasm while Conan and Haibara watched from behind them with reserved grins.

"Students!" Kobayashi screamed, startled by the sudden presence of the children. Before she could ask them anything about what they'd heard Shiratori took her by the hand and led her hastily out of the room. She did not object even though she had left all of her paperwork scattered on her desk and within less than a minute the two were out of sight

"If only some one else I knew could be that forward with his feelings" Haibara muttered knowingly with a cocky smirk. Conan turned to her and shot her a disapproving glance

"Oi oi"


	8. Retirement

**Characters: Nakamori Ginzo and his unnamed wife**

**Title: Retirement**

Nakamori Ginzo had decided a long time ago that a hospital bed was an awful place to be. As a former officer of the law he had been in one a number of times and it was never a positive experience. This trip seemed like it could very well be the worst of them all however because he'd been told what no one ever wants to here: you won't be leaving again.

Ginzo was forty-seven years old when the world seemed to drop like an anvil on his head. First he found out his daughter's childhood friend Kuroba Kaito had asked for her hand in marriage. While he knew this to be an excellent match he couldn't help feel a paternal obligation to suddenly loathe the young man. After all, he was taking his daughter away from him and he had become rather accustomed to having Aoko there to take care of him. When he thought of this fact he unwillingly reminisced about times he and his wife had discussed retirement

**~Flashback~**

"Retire? Don't make me laugh, I'll never retire! Even when I'm one hundred years old I'll still be the same brave officer I am now" his wife giggled and leaned against his shoulder. It had only been a few weeks since their honeymoon and since they'd been back in Japan they had been hard at work moving into their new house. It was three in the afternoon and the two twenty-two year old newlyweds decided they could a rest from their labors

"Don't you know about the benefits of retirement though sweetheart?" Ginzo raised an eyebrow and looked down at her

"What benefits could there possibly be to just sitting around and doing nothing all day?" he asked in a sort of sardonic fashion, giving a subtle snort at the end of his question

"Well let's see, we get to live on the beach, we have no commitments or responsibilities, we can do _whatever_ we want" her last point was obviously subjective which effortlessly caught Ginzo's attention

"_Whatever_ we want?" she confirmed her previous comment with a nod and a wide grin

"Mhm" Ginzo pretended to think critically about the prospects of retirement for a few seconds before catching her eyes again

"How old do you have to be to retire do you think?"

**~End Flashback~**

He laughed soullessly as the cruel reality hit him 'That was thirty-eight years ago'. He had never felt as decrepit and aged as he did at that moment.

Just four months after his daughter's marriage the news came buzzing around the police precinct: Kuroba Kaito was the Kaito KID. It had only taken an hour after hearing the news for Ginzo to come knocking at his daughter's new residence. When she opened the door he charged past her and began scouring the apartment for her new spouse

**~Flahsback~**

"Kaito! Kaito come out here right now!" his voice thundered and echoed throughout the house. Aoko held her father by the arm in an effort to hold him back

"Otosan don't! There's a reason for everything you have to listen!" Ginzo face suddenly went blank and he turned to face his frantic daughter

"You knew?" he asked solemnly, leaving no room for jest or untruth. She nodded shyly as the will and ability to speak left her. After a silent instance another voice chimed in from behind them

"You called for me, Nakamori-keibu?" the quiet moment was soon history as Ginzo's eyes met Kaito's

"Why you smug little bastard I should drag into the station by your ankles!" he roared viciously, causing even the well-tempered Kaito to flinch

"Please, allow me explain everything"

**~End Flashback~**

And explain he did. By the end of Kaito's story Nakamori was still reasonably upset, mostly at the deception and the fact that he had been played a fool for so long. However considering the man in question was his daughter's husband he couldn't inflict any harm on him. A year later, just a few days before Aoko's twenty-third birthday Kaito had come home fully clad in his white tux but with no monocle and a large ruby with innards of blood red.

Two years after that incident there were two major events in Nakamori's life: he became a grandfather and he became a heart attack survivor. Unfortunately the heart attack came first so he was actually in the hospital at the same time his daughter was when she gave birth, he was just in a bed. The doctor's told him that considering he had reached the ripe old age of forty-eight and his current occupation that the incident wasn't too surprising. It didn't help that ever since his daughter had moved out he had been surviving on either fast food or microwavable t.v dinners.

'If you had been there I might have stayed a little healthier' he commented internally, speaking to the woman that had left him all those years ago

**~Flashback~**

"Nakamori-san, may we have a word with you?" the doctor asked with a serious countenance. Ginzo had become familiar with this doctor considering he had been treating his wife for over a month. His three-year old daughter was off roaming the surrounding area of the lobby as she often did when they were there.

"What is it?" the doctor stared at his chart, seemingly just to avoid eye contact

"Well your wife she…is running out of time" Ginzo's face lit red as the news hit him

"What are you saying! You said you could fix it! You said with the treatment the virus wouldn't reach her vital organs!" the doctor's arms fell at his sides and for the first time in the conversation he looked at Ginzo

"We've been trying to extract the virus with antibiotics since she arrived but there's still too much of it in her system. She might have an hour…" the rage in Ginzo's face subsided and he hastily shoved the doctor aside in search of his wife's room. When he found it he wasted no time, violently throwing the door open

"Is it-"

"Yes honey, it's true" she whispered gently before a violent cough caused her to hunch forward in her bed. The image was horrifying to Ginzo, his wife had always been so energetic and vivacious and now she was pale and confined to a bed. He slowly paced forward toward her bed, trying his best to formulate a thought or a comment or anything that could help

"I…" she quickly noticed his uneasiness and stretched her hand out toward him. In a flash he leapt forward and pulled the feeble hand to his cheek as if it would vanish into thin air. He lowered himself into the seat that had become known as his seat throughout the past month. Nurses would even replace the pillows and put magazines on it for him

"Don't be so sad Ginzo, it's okay" an obvious tear streamed down his face and lightly touch his wife's hand which was consuming the right side of his face

"You can't leave me…" he sputtered out, rapidly losing his composure

"You have to take care of our Aoko Ginzo. I'll always be watching you" now Ginzo's tears were running out of both eyes with an accelerated pace

"No! Damnit this isn't fair" as his emotional state worsened his grip tightened around her hand as he pressed it harder and harder to his face. The pain was noticeable but she said nothing

"I don't want the last I see to be you crying, so please smile, for me" she had done this to him many times in the past; it was almost like a game they would play. He would have a rough day at the department and she would give him that same gorgeous stare and tell him to smile. He wouldn't at first, until she asked him to do it 'for her'

"Please no…" he let his head slide down into her lap and the tears started to stain the white linen she was lying under

"You won't smile, not even for me?" she asked in the most adorable way he had ever heard. The words and the manner in which she said sent him back to younger days, to better days. He raised his head up and wiped his tears away. As he always had in the past, he gave in to her will and curved to outsides of his mouth into a warm smile

"I love you" he stated plainly with ardor in his eyes

"I love you too" she replied as she had many times during their marriage. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, feeling her smile under the pressure of the kiss. When he drew back his smile was slightly more genuine than it had been previously

"Is there anything I can do for you, anything I can get or-" before he could continue his rant she cut him off with hushed voice

"My daughter, get my daughter" Ginzo nodded and ran out of the room in search of his child. It took him a few minutes to find her, considering she was playing hide and seek with herself and she had wobbled underneath a secretary's desk. As he ran back toward the room he had just left a mob of white coats and multi-colored scrubs were huddled around it

"What's going on?" he asked with a stroke of fear in his tone. The doctor, one he hadn't seen before, only shook his head apologized for his loss.

"Daddy stop it!" Aoko whined out as his tears dripped down into his daughter's midsection, dousing her clothing slightly

**~End Flashback~**

'Why'd you leave me so soon? I've needed you so much throughout the years. All those nights Aoko worried about me and needed her mother to console her. All the nights after Aoko left that I came home to that damned empty house. And especially with the whole KID fiasco, I wish I could have seen you face when Aoko told you she married a thief, and the Kaito KID at that' he chuckled sourly to himself, clutching his chest as he did so

'I guess there is a bright side to this though, at least we won't have to be apart much longer. Two heart attacks is apparently all my body can handle' again he chuckled to himself, this time spurring a violent spree of loud coughs

"Maybe you were right, maybe retirement wouldn't have been so bad…" he said aloud to himself, drawing a strange and concerned glance from his daughter who had been watching her father carefully for over three hours. Kaito was out of the room getting them food so he had missed the point when her father spoke to mouth various words and phrases to himself. It was odd, no matter how loud she screamed he didn't seem to have any idea she was there. She had nearly fallen off of her chair when the last sentence his lips formed was accompanied by audio

"Otosan! Otosan talk to me please!" she shrieked with tears lacing the outsides of her eyes. They had already told her he didn't have much time left so she wanted cherish every word he said and every moment they had

"…if you had been there." As those last words slipped out of his mouth a monotonous beep rang through the room. Aoko's head fell onto her now deceased father's lap and at that moment she needed Kaito. As if on cue he stepped into the room holding an armful of groceries including drinks, chips and even a huge chocolate muffin he knew his wife would love

"Kaito!" she screamed, running into his arms. Without a second thought he threw the items that occupied his arms to the floor and embraced his love. He knew exactly what had happened without a need to look at the corpse of his longtime rival. With no words to say he simply clutched her with all of his might, as if to communicate neither hell nor high water could separate them


	9. Becoming your Alias

**Couple: Haibara Ai and Tsuburaya Mitsuhiko**

**Title: Becoming your Alias**

"Ai-kun" Haibara groaned and rolled over in her bed to face the offending voice

"Erg…what is it Hakase?"

"He's uh…here again" Agasa looked nervous as he waited for her reaction. Haibara laid still for a moment before letting out a deep sigh. She slowly rose from the bed and stood before the aged Professor

"He's fourteen you would think he would be mature enough to let this go" Agasa shook his head and placed a paternal hand on her shoulder

"Ai-kun he's a teenage boy and you are his first love, can you blame him for being so adamant?" Haibara thought about his words for a moment then chuckled lightly to herself

"You know I always found that part of him endearing. He really is a special young man" Agasa tightened his grip on her shoulder slightly and gave her a blazing stare

"And you are a special young woman, don't forget that."

"Hakase I'm twenty-four years old" her eyes darkened as the curt and strained sentence escaped her lips. Agasa gradually released her shoulders and turned to leave. Before he left the room completely he stopped in the doorway

"One of these days you're going to have to become Haibara Ai. It's been seven years, when is it going to stop being a cover?" As he disappeared from the doorway Haibara fell back down onto the bed. Agasa had never been one to speak harshly by any means so his words had a particularly intense impact. It had been five years since 'Edogawa Conan' went back to the U.S and Kudo Shinichi returned from his 'case'. Haibara took another deep breath and stood up. She strode out of her room and down the hallway toward the front door. She knew she was still in her sleeping attire but she didn't much care

"Hello Mitsuhiko-kun" she said lightly after opening the door, revealing an awkward and thin fourteen year old boy. He stood nervously holding a bouquet of daisies with an outstretched arm

"Here these are for you" he blurted out hastily as a few beads of sweat ran down his cheeks. Haibara suppressed a giggle and accepted the offering

"What are you doing here so early? It's nine o'clock in the morning" Mitsuhiko drew in a deep breath in an effort to calm his nerves

"Well I just thought that maybe since it's Saturday and I know you finished all your homework already because you always have your homework done early that maybe if you wanted to… I mean you don't have to I just-" Haibara halted his tense and forced run on sentence by placing her index finger over his mouth

"Are you asking me on a date, again?" her tone was cold and accusing which caused Mitsuhiko to squirm beneath her gaze

"Uh well I mean if you're uh…yes…" Haibara readied her usual denial speech when the wise Professor's words ran through her head. She contemplated what Haibara Ai would do in this situation 'I'm not Miyano Shiho anymore, I'm Haibara Ai. So does Haibara Ai want to…'

"Sure" Mitsuhiko nearly fell backwards when the short and sweet answer penetrated his ears

"What?"

"Let me get ready, where are we going?" she appeared more bubbly than usual which understandably disturbed him

"Uh I had planned on taking you to uh brunch sort of. Well it's sort of a picnic at the park I guess…" Haibara couldn't hold back a chuckle at his increased skittishness

"I'll be ready in a minute" and just like Mitsuhiko was getting his wish, he was going on a date with Haibara Ai. Strangely enough this was the first time Haibara Ai had ever been asked out on a date


	10. Past Reminds Us of the Present

**Characters: Mouri Kogoro and Kisaki Eri**

**Title: Past Reminds Us of the Present**

"Stop it Kogoro!" Eri squealed as Kogoro, for the eighth time during their walk to school, stepped on the heel of her right shoe

"I didn't do anything! You're crazy!" Kogoro lied blatantly for the sole purpose of aggravating his childhood friend. Eri had nothing to say and instead stomped away from him angrily. Kogoro chuckled at her irritation as he jogged up behind her. Once he was walking beside her again she swung her head away from him in an effort to openly ignore him

"Hmmph I don't want to talk to you" Kogoro laughed heartily, only infuriating her further

"What do you think sensei will make us do in class today?" he asked, trying to bait his friend out of her silence. After a few long seconds he coughed deliberately and tried again "I hope she doesn't make us do more clay modeling, I hate art" he turned and looked at her, waiting for a reply. Still she remained silent which drove Kogoro to his peak of patience "What is wrong w-"

"We're here"

"Huh?" Eri rolled her eyes and pointed at the entrance to Teitan Primary School. Kogoro huffed and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Before he could speak again Eri had already gone. Kogoro swiveled his head around the area but had no luck finding her and resolved to wait for her in their homeroom. When he arrived he was shocked to see that Eri had already taken her seat and her countenance had not changed at all. He walked over and sat down beside her "Oi Eri are you-"

"Good morning students. Today we're going to start our class with popcorn reading" Kogoro rolled his eyes. He hated reading; in fact, he pretty much hated every part of school. But then again he was nine years old and few children his age actually enjoy school. Before he knew it however he was the only student still seated. Everyone had risen because it was proper in their class to stand when doing a reading exercise. As the first student started to read his section of the book Kogoro slowly leaned over toward Eri

"Oi, are you still all mad about earlier?" No answer. Eri continued to face forward, completely ignoring Kogoro existence which tended to offend young Kogoro. His face went cherry red and he spun his body around to face the girl beside him "Why aren't you talking to me!" he roared as ferociously as a child can.

"Well if it isn't Mouri Kogoro, disrupting class _again_" his teacher's voice was cross and sarcastic as she stared at Kogoro, whose face had gone white with fear and then returned to red with embarrassment

"Uh sensei I was just-"

"No 'buts', you will spend your lunch and one hour after school in detention" Kogoro frowned glumly but managed a compliant nod before he sunk back into his seat. Though he didn't notice, Eri sent him a sympathetic gaze out of the corner of her eye

That school day came and went and although detention was slow it eventually passed as well. Now a tired and frustrated Mouri Kogoro started on his lonely walk home, cursed to think only of the girl that wasn't there and why he even cared that she was absent. His mind was eased by an aluminum can he found on the ground which he proceeded to kick. As he went along, hopelessly amused by the simple one person game he was playing a small form impeded his forward progress

"Oi what are you doing!" he yelled, already realizing who the person in front of him was

"You are such a jerk!" Eri screamed, pressing each of her hands firmly on her hips "I came all the way here to find you and all you do is yell at me!" Kogoro grinned at the rage stricken face that he always enjoyed

"Thanks, I can always depend on you" he responded in an upbeat tone. Eri's expression melted into one of sheer disbelief at his kind words and her anger fizzled

"Uh hai" she was now blushing bright as Kogoro walked by her

"Come on you always walk so slow I'm surprised you even made it out of the school before I got out of detention" Eri shook herself out of the amorous stupor she was in and spun around to face her crush

"Kogoro…" she grumbled in a low tone that usually signaled impending danger

"Here you can kick this thing with me, we'll take turns" Eri huffed but complied and soon they were strolling down the sidewalk in steady rhythm, alternating their strikes at the aluminum canister.


	11. The Drinking Age

**Characters: Nakamori Aoko and Kuroba Kaito**

**Title: The Drinking Age**

"Kaito wake up!" Aoko screamed angrily, throwing Kaito's door open and flooding the dark room with light from the hallway

"Err…..how do you keep getting into the men's dorms?" he asked her groggily, rubbing his eyes and slowly sliding out from beneath the blankets he had been submersed in

"All your friends know me and they know _you_. Now get up we have Ancient Civilizations class in twenty minutes and it's on the other side of campus" Kaito waved her off as he moved from his bed and flicked on the lights. He let out a bellowing yawn and swiped a white t-shirt from his closet along with a pair of blue jeans. He grabbed his disheveled backpack, stuffing some loose papers into it and flew out the door. Aoko rolled her eyes at his slovenly preparation and followed behind him

"Come on Aoko or we'll be late!" Kaito yelled back at her, picking up his speed to a steady jog. Aoko clenched her fists and sprinted to catch him

"If we're late it will be your fault!" she roared, causing Kaito to snicker uncontrollably. This routine had been the norm for them since they were in gradeschool, and transferring to college hadn't changed anything. They still had the same fights, the same chases, the same verbal disputes. Really they had the same relationship, which was becoming a serious issue for a certain someone.

**~Two Hours Later~**

"Ugh what a boring class" Kaito grumbled with his hands behind his head and his elbows thrust forward past his ears. Aoko sighed and shook her head in disapproval

"All our classes are boring for you Kaito, you know everything before they even teach it to us. Our Calculus teacher had to ask you to leave the room because you kept correcting him" Kaito chuckled at the fond memory and shoved his hands into his pockets

"Since our next class isn't for another three hours do you want to get lunch or something?" Kaito inquired, still looking forward, ignoring the amorous stare Aoko was giving him

"Sure where are we going?" Kaito considered the options they had for a moment before raising his index finger in the air with gusto

"I know, let's go for a picnic! We haven't done that since we were children" Aoko giggled at his enthusiasm but internally she did enjoy the idea and nodded in agreement

"Do you have anything to eat at your dorm or will we have to go to the store first?"

"I have water and beer" Aoko grimaced and waved her hand at him

"No no we'll go to the store I don't drink" Kaito stopped and did a double take at his companion

"Wait what? You don't drink?" Aoko shook her, seemingly surprised at the question

"Of course not, it's illegal to drink under the legal age"

"But we are legally old enough baka!" Aoko shook her head in denial, tossing her hair from side to side

"In Japan, but not here in the United States. The legal drinking age here is twenty-one, you should know that bakaito" Kaito waved his hand at her, turning his head away

"Whatever, let's just get to the store" with that the subject was dropped for the time being. The walk to the supermarket down the street from their college campus was a good thirty minutes away. When they arrived they decided to split up and find items that they liked then reconvene at the checkout. Their shopping took only a few minutes and soon they were standing together in line

"So what did you get Kaito?" Kaito hesitated for a second then moved away from Aoko's side and cut in front of her in the line

"It's a surprise" Aoko looked at him confusedly but shrugged off the ambiguity, having become accustomed to it. Once they both had checked out they started their walk back to the college, with Kaito carrying his bags at his side, using himself as a barrier to separate Aoko from the items

"Why can't you just tell me what you got?" Aoko asked for the eighth time since they'd left the store

"I already told it's a surprise so stop asking about it. You can really be bothersome" Aoko 'hmmphed' and swiveled her head away from him forcefully, dramatizing her frustration. Despite their short feud their silence lasted no more than a few seconds. Once they reached the school however the dreaded topic returned once again

"Okay, we're here. Do you have a blanket in your dorm room we can use?" Kaito nodded and ran off to retrieve it while Aoko fell to her knees and started to remove the items she had purchased from her bag. She then noticed Kaito had left his bag lying next to hers when he had left. She excitedly shuffled over to the bag and went to reach in it when a thought came to her 'I wonder why he was trying so hard to keep this secret from me?' the idea plagued her as her hand stood poised and ready to solve the mystery of what was in the bags. After struggling with the conundrum for close to five minutes she finally decided there was no harm in peeking and opened the bags. The instant she laid eyes on the bag's contents a large, multi-colored stream of confetti shot out at her, covering her hair, blouse and skirt. Her face went red with rage but before she could fume her anger vocally Kaito appeared with a smug grin

"I told you it was a surprise" Aoko rose from the ground and, using her own brand of magic reached behind herself and revealed her signature household item

"I'm gonna kill you Kaito!"

"Wait calm down I got the blanket!" he pleaded as she swung at him with dangerous force. Ducking and evading, he eventually managed to climb up into the tree. Aoko tried valiantly to hit him, poking and prodding at the branch he had perched himself on

"Come down here right now!" she roared, placing the mop at her side and sending him an evil glare

"Look I did that because I knew you wouldn't be able to resist looking in the bag" Aoko raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms in front of her chest

"So you did this while we were walking?" Kaito nodded with a smile

"Yup. What I really bought" he started as he leapt down from the tree and landing right in front of Aoko. Her anger melted away instantly at their close proximity "this" from behind his back he revealed a bottle of wine and two glasses

"What are you doing Kaito? You can't have that here!" she reached forward to take the alcohol away from him but he suavely spun around, repositioned himself behind her. In a swift motion he placed the bottle on the ground and wrapped his arm around the frantic girl's waist

"Here, take this" he said, offering her one of the wine glasses. She hesitated but due to the position they were in she could hardly think so she accepted the vessel "and try some. You won't get drunk or anything, it's just a glass of champagne" he pulled his arm away and reached down for the bottle at his side. Aoko turned around to face him and in the process gained some of her sense back

"Kaito it's hardly even noon, now is not the time for drinking. And besides this is illegal we could get expelled" despite her mouth's resistance she had already reached out to him with glass in hand. Kaito only grinned at her verbal protests as he poured the pale yellow liquid into her glass. She looked down at the drink, watching it the bubbles rise from the bottom of the glass and burst upon reaching the surface. Kaito could sense her indecision and wanted to ease her worries

"What if we toast to something?" Aoko was caught off guard by the idea but recognized his insistence and knew he was not going to relent unless she gave in to his will

"Okay, what are we toasting to?" Kaito raised his glass and waiting for Aoko to do the same. Once she had he cleared he throat loudly, earning a chuckle from Aoko

"To us, always best friends!" Aoko's smile leveled out and sank into a darkened frown. Kaito looked confused at her reaction and took her glass from her, setting them both down on the flattest patch of grass he could find. He then stood back up and stared at her intently "What's wrong now?" he asked, semi-jokingly.

"Nothing, sorry" she bent down to retrieve the glass Kaito had just set down but was stopped short when Kaito's hand took a firm hold of her wrist

"You can't lie to me Aoko, I've known you for too long" Normally this was the point where she would start to cry and tell him all about whatever was bothering. However Kaito received a very different reaction.

"I told you it's nothing!" she barked. She lingered a moment then ran off, scooping up her backpack as she left. Kaito took a step to chase her but tripped over the glasses he had set out and fell over. He mumbled curses as the beverage seeped into the fabric of his pants. By the time he was on his feet again Aoko was long gone and Kaito began to clean up the items she had left

**~Eight Hours Later~ **

For the sake of his identity Kaito had limited the number of heists he was undertaking. As of the late he had only been doing one or two heists a month, leaving him ideal time to validify his status as a mere college student to the people around him an especially Aoko. In fact, he had been spending more time with her in the past months then ever before if that was even possible. They had three classes together and more often than not they ate at least two meals a day together.

But tonight, there was a heist. And the timing seemed perfect considering there was virtually zero chance she would want to see him anyway. He had already decided to go to her dorm room after the heist and clear up their issue. Unfortunately for him, Aoko could be a troublesome woman

"I should go talk to him, this is my fault anyway. I'm always the one who gets like this. I really hate that word though, _friends_. It hurts to even hear it, but that's my problem and I can't blame him for that" she had decided to go and make amends, after all, they were adults.

"A call?" Kaito said aloud as he soared on his glider toward the site of his heist. For the sake of preserving his alibi he had decided to start carrying a cell phone with him on heists. This had, at times, become inconvenient and even downright annoying but it was a necessity.

"Hello?"

"Kaito where are you? And why does it sound like you're on a motorcycle or something?" Kaito cringed 'Dammit that's right I'm still using the glider'

"Uh I'm….in a car with the windows down. Some of the guys from our British Literature class asked if I wanted to go and grab something to eat"

"Why didn't you ask, I'm starving" Kaito huffed into the phone, making an annoyed face even though there was no one to see it

"Why would I want you here? Besides these are college guys they'd probably hit on you or something"

"So what, it's college it's not a big deal" Kaito was now officially sidetracked by the call, and by extension no longer paying attention to the building coming closer and closer as he continued to fly forward

"What are saying? You want every guy here to pursue you like that? The guys here are only interested in one thing you know" Aoko blushed a little but found this an interesting time to possibly toy with her friend's protective nature

"I know" she replied curtly, without any sign of embarrassment or even discomfort

"What's with that answer? Are you trying to say you don't care if guys try to….you know…" the buildings continued to grow larger as the proximity between Kaito and said buildings decreased exponentially

"What? Of course I do what kind of girl do you take me for?"

"You haven't already have you?" Aoko's face went crimson with fury as her fists clenched at her sides with such force that the skin was slowly breaking

"Kaito…." she growled, signifying that her rage and reached a dangerous level. Of course Kaito was completely aware of this and worked quickly to mend the situation

"Gomen, gomen. Look I have to go I have something I have to- AUGH!" that screamed was the last sound Aoko heard before the phone on the other line abruptly hung up. Aoko was worried by the scream but wrote it off, assuming it was just another magic trick gone wrong

Meanwhile, Kaito lay stiff, groaning in pain from the impact he had just made a glass office window forty-six stories up. The glass had given way to his force and he had gone cascading through the window. At the collision he slammed hard against the floor, did a few bounces and rammed back first into a cubicle. In addition to the window he had completely destroyed, the computer, the divider and the desk itself were all in ruin. He moved to stand but quickly fell to the ground

"Dammit! I think my leg is broken…." A multitude of inconvenient thoughts rapidly dominated his conscious mind. 'How am I going to do the heist? How am I going to get out of this building? How am I supposed to explain to Aoko that I broke my leg at a restaurant?' Kaito sighed. There was only one option for him, no matter how painful it was

No more than a few minutes after he call's abrupt end, another ring came from her pocket

"Kaito?"

"Aoko listen-"

"Where do you get off hanging up on me?"

"Aoko I'm hurt, I need you to get a taxi and come pick me up" Aoko's voice softened at the apparent seriousness of the situation

"Uh sure, where are you?" Kaito looked around the office for some sort of evidence to give him his location. He peered out the open hole in the wall he had left and noticed the building across from him

"I'm at the Intel Processor Building about thirty minutes away" Aoko shook her head in shock

"I thought you were at a restaurant eating?" Kaito hesitated and spat out a hurried answer

"I was but then they dropped me off because they had to go somewhere. That doesn't matter" Aoko was thrown off by the odd sense of nervousness he was exuding but decided that was a topic for later

"I'll be there as soon as I can" With that she hung up, leaving Kaito with three remaining questions: How to get to the building across the street, how to explain his brutal injuries and most importantly, how to get out of his outfit. The first was fairly simply, using a hookshot and a belt clip he slowly lowered himself down the side of the building. Once on the ground, he had to dispose of his clothes. He was happy enough that he hadn't been noticed as he repelled down the side of the skyscraper but remaining elusive on the street would be impossible.

"Damn, it's already been half an hour. She'll be here any minute I need to get out of these clothes" he dragged himself into an alley way beside the building and began to disrobe himself. Once his top half was exposed, he began to remove his pants. Problem was, he had a broken right leg and a heavily bruised and cut left leg, making them virtually immovable. Thinking quickly he pulled out his card gun and started to fire at the outside of his pant legs. After twenty cards the pants were tattered enough to be ripped off. He carefully revealed his street clothes and started to put them on. As he struggled to put his pants on a taxi cab rolled up across the street and Aoko daintily exited it

"Kaito where are you?" She yelled, her voice echoing through the entire street over every car

"Aoko!" he replied with equal volume to get her attention. She did a double take, scanning the area around her to identify the origin of the voice. Suddenly a beaten and bruised Kaito caught her eye. She said a few words to the cab driver and sprinted across the bust street toward him.

"What happened to you Kaito?" Kaito gave her a confident grin that seemed to calm her down

"It's fine Aoko, the guy driving just crashed the car on our way to the restaurant. I didn't want to tell you over the phone because you would have freaked out" Aoko sent him a hollow smile and punched him in the arm with all the strength she could muster. Kaito jumped at the pain and glared at her with a puzzled expression

"Baka! Now come on, the meter is running on that taxi" Aoko ducked her head down, allowing him to get his arm across her shoulders. Aoko groaned momentarily at the added weight but supported him sufficiently

"I bet that guy was drunk" Kaito shook his head in confusion as the two started to cross the road

"Huh?"

"I told you people shouldn't drink underage and look what happened to you" Kaito chuckled at the conclusion she had come to. As long as she believed that, everything would be fine, although he couldn't help but feel like she'd be lecturing him further in the future. As they entered the cab Kaito felt awkward, having to be placed in his seat like an infant. Matters weren't helped when Aoko pulled his bloodied legs onto her lap and started to pull his pants down

"A-Aoko what are you doing!" Aoko rolled her eyes and continued to inch his pants off

"Don't be immature Kaito there's blood stains, I want to see how bad your injuries are" once his pants were down, revealing his boxers Aoko started to analyze the injury

"I-It's not that bad" Aoko shook her head and turned toward the driver

"Can you please take us to the nearest hospital?" the driver tipped his cap to confirm her request

"That'll be about ten minutes"

"Thank you"

"Aoko your English has gotten better" Aoko blushed faintly at the compliment

"Thanks. Kaito I need you to hold still I'm going to try and get some of this glass out of your leg" Kaito consented to her action, after all she was a med student. The minutes went by smoothly with limited pain and discomfort and soon they were at the hospital. Aoko paid the cabby and hobbled with Kaito to the main lobby if the hospital

"How can I help you?"

"My friend has multiple lacerations to his arms and legs and I think his leg is broken" the nurse quickly flagged down a doctor and seated Kaito in a wheelchair. Aoko waved at him as the doctor rolled him away

"He should be ready to see you in a few hours" Aoko nodded and sat down in the lobby. She had hardly even picked up the Reader's Digest before she passed out. The last half an hour had been stressful enough to drain her.

"Sweetheart?" the older nurse said gently with a push on Aoko's shoulder. She shook her head and looked around the room with glazed eyes

"Huh?"

"If you want to see your friend now you can go on in, he's on the third floor, room 312" Aoko nodded gratefully and made her way to the room. When she opened the door his leg was elevated and wrapped in a cast. He had a plethora of bandages covering his arms, his exposed leg and the right half of his neck

"Kaito?" she whispered, trying to let him know she was there

"Aoko? What are you still doing here you have class tomorrow"

"Baka I couldn't just leave you here. How are you feeling?" Kaito groaned as he attempted to shift in his bed

"Fine"

"I told you not to drink like that Kaito" Kaito heaved a sigh and rolled over on his side only to scream in pain as his leg moved in its cast. Aoko laughed at his pain and walked over to his bedside. She pulled up a chair and took a seat next to him. He opened his mouth to speak but decided it was better just to enjoy the company. Apparently the sentiment was the same because she laid her head down on his bed and fell asleep soon after. A soft smile crept onto Kaito's lips as he stroked Aoko hair, removing it from her eyes. Soon he fell asleep as well with his hand still on her head.


	12. Type of Fighter

**Characters: Suzuki Sonoko and Kyogoku Makoto**

**Title: Type of Fighter**

Kyogoku Makoto was a very lucky man. If he had been asked in his teen years what he wanted for his life he would have said three things: a career in martial arts, a faithful wife and a first born son. Currently, in his twenty second year of life he had all of these things and he could not have been more content. He was a sponsored and internationally ranked fighter and he had married his high school sweetheart who was pregnant with their first child, a boy.

Despite fighting being his dream job it did come with one major drawback: reporters. He despised them because they never wanted to know about his fights. It was always his personal life they were interested in, something he didn't enjoy going into. For years he had avoided any and all topics outside of his forms and his combat strategies, however some prodding from his immensely pushy wife had 'inspired' him to finally be a little more open

"So tell us Makoto-san, as your first marriage anniversary approaches how married life has been treating you" said an American reporter as she held a microphone up to his face in a rather aggressive manner. 'Not even a greeting?' Makoto thought as the middle-aged Caucasian woman stared at him with awaiting eyes. He hesitated for a moment before answering

"I am very fortunate to have my wife; she is very supportive" 'There, not so bad' The reporter nodded to him, seemingly accepting his answer

"Is it ever intimidating being married to a woman who is worth billions of dollars thanks to her inheritance and her career as a fashion designer?" 'How many questions are you going to ask?' he thought to himself as the reporter shoved the mic a little closer to his mouth, allowing him the pleasure of tasting the foam covered top

"We both contribute financially. The fact that she makes more money due to the nature of her profession doesn't threaten me" With that comment Makoto nodded reverently and started to walk away until a thin bony hand grasped his wrist. He turned around, only to have the hideous microphone once again shoved up to his lips

"Wait Makoto-san, there's something I think every woman out there has wanted to know for quite some time" 'Oh no…' "how exactly do you two work together?" Makoto, being the hapless man he was, blinked at the reporter and scratched the top of his head

"Well we both have our own interests. She enjoys shopping and coming up with new clothing designs and I enjoy training and cooking so I guess we don't really 'work together' on too many things" the reporter seemed at a loss until his ignorance dawned on her. She lightly smacked herself on the forehead before reinitiating eye contact with him

"No, Makoto-san, I mean as a couple. What makes you and Sonoko-chan compatible?" Makoto understood the question but nonetheless took a moment to formulate an accurate response. There relationship really was a strange one, and for all intensive purposes it shouldn't have worked between them. And yet somehow it had, and it was continuing to do so

"I guess you could say we're two different types of fighters" the reporter quirked her eyebrow curiously as Makoto continued to speak

"Obviously the way I fight is physical. I use my fists and my legs to defeat my opponents. Sonoko on the other hand, may not be able to punch or kick, but she can verbally immobilize even the strongest men" the reporter was completely awestruck by the poetic nature of his explanation. The tan, muscular twenty-two year had always been perceived in the media as a brute and yet he was capable of such beautiful language

"That really is beautiful. Thank you for talking with us and I wish you luck on your upcoming semi-final match" Makoto shook her hand and started to walk toward the locker rooms. As he attempted to refocus himself on the upcoming match his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and flipped it open, feeling no need to check the caller I.D

"Moshi?" he started in an even tone

"Makoto that was amazing!" Sonoko voice came blasting through the earpiece of his phone, causing him to wince the sudden stinging in his ear

"Sonoko what are you-"

"I heard you on the radio! They weren't televising the pre-match interviews but I found them on the radio!" Sonoko, despite her usual self—was undeniably her husband's biggest fan. Throughout their relationship she had rarely if ever missed one of his matches, no matter what medium she needed to employ.

"Sonoko I thought we agreed you would only call me before a match if it was an emergency" he replied, contrasting her overflow of emotion

"I know it's just I needed to tell you something" Makoto readied himself for one of her hyper-emotional proclamations of undying love as he wrapped his knuckles with athletic tape

"What is it?" he asked her, silently urging her to hurry so he could finish preparing. He would have plenty of time to talk with her after the match but at the moment he needed time to himself

"It's about what you said…" her voice shrank slightly, catching Makoto off guard. He allowed his attention to stray aware from his preparations as he awaited his wife's words

"What about it?" after a few more seconds of silence Makoto's interest was officially peaked. 'Did what I said really affect her this much'

"ARE YOU SAYING I CAN'T FIGHT! I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW I'VE HAD A WORLD REKNOWNED MASTER TEACHING ME TAE KWON DO FOR THREE MONTHS NOW!" As his wife continued to berate him about his apparent disregard for her abilities as a fighter, he couldn't help but think 'this kind of anger can't be good for the baby'


	13. Suave

**Characters: **Kuroba Toichi and Kuroba Chikage

**Title: **Suave

_FYI I'm testing the waters with the first person perspective, we'll see how it works_

"Kasan" Kaito whispers to me as I move to leave his room. He's only ten years old, and already he's had to deal with so much

"What is it Kaito?" My voice sounds a little cheerier than I want it too. Truth be told, ever since his father's passing he's been way too independent for my tastes. We used to be so close, but now…

"I miss 'tosan" he muttered under his breath, as if he was ashamed to admit. I can't say I'm surprised that he's been emotionally closed off since Toichi died. He reminds me more of him everyday

"I know Kaito, so do I. But you know he wouldn't want you to be sad about him being gone" As the words leave my mouth I realize I've made a mistake. Despite my best effort to be comforting all I succeeded in doing is reinforcing his jaded view of emotional expression. This point is hammered in when the glisten of water in his eyes disappears before a single tear falls. He nods at me and turns toward the wall. I wait until his breaths become slow and even before I take a deep breath and leave his room, shutting the light off as I go

I hate to leave him at home alone, but there are nights when I just need to walk. Truth be told, if anything happened I'm not even sure me being there would make a difference. Kaito has always been resourceful and clever, just like his father

_Toichi_

The ring of his name in my mind sets off a thousand memories all at the same time. Some happy and some not. I remember the days when we were dating. I can't remember him ever doing the same thing twice. He could turn something as simple as going out to dinner into an event worth remembering. He never failed to surprise me, and he didn't always need magic tricks to do it. It was something about him, the way he spoke, the way he carried himself. His demeanor I guess

And that's precisely what made the bad times so bad. There were nights when he wouldn't come home until the sun was due to rise, or he wouldn't come home at all. He always said he was working, doing shows, supporting Kaito and I. He seemed to think I was either too dull to figure him out or too self-absorbed to try. Either way he seemed almost surprised when I told him that I'd done some research, found out that some of his "shows" didn't add up. Some were on different days than he's said, others had simply never happened

He was so elegant, so sexy, so suave. Obviously the idea of him cheating hadn't escaped my scope of reason. I regret it now, but back then I had almost assumed that was the explanation. It killed me to believe it, but it seemed like all the evidence was there. However the night I finally hit him with my accusations….

**~Flashback~**

"Where have you been Toichi?" Chikage asked, venom laced in her high volumed roar. Toichi, in spite of his almost immovable countenance, flinched at his wife's uncharacteristic outburst

"I told you before I left that I was-"

"Doing a show, I know what you said! I also know that your show isn't due to appear in Los Angeles for another month. So, where have you been?" Always known for his calm exterior, Toichi managed to crack a smirk at his seething wife as he drew closer to her

"Chi, you need to lower you voice or you'll wake Kaito" Toichi said in an almost condescendingly even tone, thinking more about his son's wellbeing than his wife's. A grave mistake….

"Lower my voice…" she muttered, the slow build of rage evident in the white knuckles that lined her fists. Focusing once again on his bride Toichi quickly realized his error

"Dear please I was only-"

"You go out all night, doing Kami knows what Kami knows where, and _now_ you want to think about your son?" at this point, Chikage was in a full blown spiral of fury. Her uproarious screams resonated throughout the house. She took in a deep inhale to prepare herself for another verbal episode when Toichi's ungloved hand came forward, pressing against her mouth to silence her

"Hush Chi" he whispered in her ear soothingly, bringing his other hand to her shoulder and gripping it firmly. Just the sound of his voice started to quell the fire in her chest "Now listen, it is true I was not in Los Angeles as I told you. I didn't want you to worry." As he spoke he could feel the tension in her shoulders lessen so he removed his hand from her mouth and placed it on her other shoulder

"Where were you?" Chikage asked, somewhere between tears and residual anger

"I've been doing shows that are…below my usual standard. I've been working with new tricks but I didn't want to use them on large crowds until I knew they were flawless. So I decided to find some smaller clubs in the city and try them there" When he finished he started to run his thumb along the inner curve of her shoulder.

"I'm sorry…." She started, looking at her husband apologetically. Before he could respond she continued "I thought you were being…unfaithful. That's why I was so angry…" Chikage closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable bombardment of ridicule for her overreaction. What came was the feeling of his lips on hers and the bristle of his thinly shaved moustache on her upper lip. Her eyes shot open just in time to see him pull away with a grin

"Why would I seek out anyone else when I already have the best wife and son to come home to?" Chikage let a single tear slide down her cheek as she beamed at her husband, who had already hoisted up into a bridal style hold

**~End Flashback~**

Whenever I remember times like that, I can't help but wish he was still here. I know it's irresponsible for me to be so sullen about him being gone when my son looks to me as an example. And yet, as he gets older I feel like he's become more of an example to me than I ever was to him. He's so much like his father. Maybe he'll grow up to be a magician….

Took a while. Next one I'm finishing the ShiratorixKobayashi story


	14. First Date: Terms of Endearment

**Characters: Shiratori Ninzaburo and Kobayashi Sumiko**

**Title: First Date: Terms of Endearment **

Although Kobayashi had accepted his invitation, she insisted on going home and changing. With little resistance Shiratori had agreed, electing to follow her home and take her to the restaurant from there. It was strange for Shiratori, eating so early. Thanks to his line of work he had grown accustomed to eating small, meager dishes very quickly and usually long after most had gone to bed. And yet, here he was at four in the afternoon, sitting in the living room of the woman he had been pining for since he was a child.

"I wonder what she's doing…" he pondered as he waited in her small apartment living room

_Meanwhile…_

'I have nothing to wear….' Kobayashi thought angrily, or as close to angrily as she was capable of thinking. It had been nearly half an hour and she'd already scoured every inch of her closet multiple times. Given her profession and her lifestyle, she hadn't really found it necessary to own anything classier than casual. And now she was regretting every turned down invitation to go shopping with her friends from the school

"What am I going to do…" she sighed as she slid onto her bed, covering her face with her hands. After a few seconds of swimming in sorrow a thought shot through her mind

'That's it!'

_Back in the Living Room_

For Shiratori, every minute she kept him waiting was like an eternity and a half. If this had been a more vindictive woman, he would have been inclined to think that she was doing it on purpose. But then he reflected on the woman he was waiting for. While there interactions had been minimal since meeting again, he felt like he already knew her well

'She's kind, gentle, intelligent but ditzy at times. She's insecure for reason I still don't understand…she really is wonderful' This train of thought quickly carried Shiratori's mind away from his anxiety and into a blissful haze of adoration

_With Kobayashi_

"There it is!" she half-squeaked in excitement as she reached into under her bed with both hands, revealing a plastic clothing sleeve. She brushed a little dust off of the casing before unzipping it and lifting the dress out. As she stood up she held the dress up in front of her and turned to face her full body mirror

'Beautiful…just like I remember it' she mused as she set it on the bed and started to undress.

_Back with Shiratori_

Shiratori's romantically fueled thoughts, despite his ignorance of the time passing, had kept him accupied for a solid twenty minutes. His mental trance was only broken by the presence of its focus standing before him

"A-Are you ready to go?" Kobayashi asked with a hint of anxiety in her shaky voice. When her question was met with silence she assumed the worst and started to move her right arm up nervously to cover her chest. However, in a flash Shiratori was off the couch and had her by the wrist

"You look magnificent Sumiko-chan" Kobayashi blushed deeply at the comment and the new name he had for her. His words were not in the least bit an exaggeration either. The dress she adorned was ice blue and strapless, running seamlessly down just past her ankles, leaving a clear view of the white heels she was wearing. In her ears were a set of simple pearl studs that matched the color of her shoes. There wasn't much for her to with her hair so she simply left it as it was with the exception of a silver barrette which kept her bangs out of her eyes. Needless to say, Shiratori's reaction was completely understandable

"Arigato, Ninzaburo-kun" she said, a light pink dusting her cheeks as she watched his eyes shine when his name passed her lips. Without a word, Shiratori moved his hand from her wrist to her hand and started to walk toward the door with his date in tow.

**Next chapter I'm doing tomorrow. Two choices - First Date Part 3 or Agasa and Fusae. Pick one. And in case you're wondering, part 3 will be the last part of this mini series**


	15. Feeling Old

**Characters: Agasa Hiroshi and Agasa Fusae(Fusae Campbell)**

**Title: Feeling Old**

As Agasa Fusae ate her breakfast in silence with her husband, she was plagued by an insecurity that deeply irked her

"Ne Hiroshi-kun, do you ever feel…old?" Fusae asked her husband of eight years who was at the ripe old age of sixty-six. Fortunately for the professor, the years had hardly changed his appearance. Aside from a few new wrinkles on his face he was the same jovial professor. Fusae, on the other hand, had always looked much younger than her spouse and as such was more self-conscious about her aging

"Fusae, you really shouldn't worry about your age so much. You know you will always look young compared to me!" He made his last comment with particular enthusiasm, which elicited a giggle from her. Thus a conversation was dropped for the time being, but Agasa knew full well that the topic would resurface. Especially since Haibara Ai was coming for a visit that day

**Three Hours Later**

"Hiroshi-kun, the doorbell" Fusae said without pulling her nose out of the magazine she was carefully inspecting. Even as a woman in her sixties Fusae was still a major fashion consultant for a number of high-end clothing companies

"Right, gomen I guess my hearing is starting to go" he stated with a hearty chuckled as he rose from his chair beside hers and walked toward the door. When he opened it a young woman was standing before him, garbed in a quaint black turtleneck and blue jeans that hugged her thin but still evident shape

"Ai-kun!" Agasa greeted with joy as he leaned forward to embrace her. Over the years Ai had slowly begun to accept affection from those closest to her, particularly Agasa. She even went as far as to run her open palm in a circle on his back

"Hakase, how are you?" she asked as he released her and ushered into his home. She had become very familiar with the building during her years of residence there. It still felt like home

"I'm doing well, getting older and happier by the day" he said with a huge smile, which left no misconception as to the earnestness of his claim. Ai smiled back at him and walked toward the kitchen where he assumed the 'mrs.' Would be. And sure enough she found her sitting with a rigid posture analyzing a magazine

"Konnichiwa, Agasa-sama" Fusae looked up at the vision in front of her and smiled pleasantly

"No need for that sort of introduction Ai-chan. Please, just Fusae" Ai nodded in acknowledgement and sat down at the table across from her

"So what's become of the latest handbag series you were overseeing?" Ai asked with genuine interest, indulging her secret obsession with fashion

"It's stuck in the production phase. Red tape and all. That's old news though, how are doing at your new research facility?" Ai curved her lips in a faint yet warm smile

"It's pleasant. I'll admit I still get a little nervous, being in a facility. It reminds of my time with the Organization." A sober silence overtook the three for a few moments until Agasa strode toward the counter top and asked the two ladies if they wanted anything to drink

"Water please" Ai answered

"Nothing for me, I just had some tea" Fusae responded, never breaking her attention away from the girl before her. Despite years of encouragement from her husband, her undying sense of vanity told her that she was inferior to the young woman before her. She envied her youth in the simplest form of the word. She wanted it. She wanted to be young again. She had only had a few lovers and no serious relationships throughout her 'glory' days, and looking back she regretted all of the wasted time. Her train of thought was broken by the sound of Agasa coming back to the table

"So Ai-chan, how's your love-life?" Fusae asked boldly, causing Haibara's pupils to dilate

"Uh Fusae, that's a little personal…" Agasa mumbled mostly to himself as a pregnant silence enveloped the table. Haibara's eyes shifted around uncomfortably, trying to formulate a response. Finally with a deep sigh she responded

"I haven't actively pursued a relationship as of yet. Experience has taught that allowing love to happen has a better chance of success than trying to forge love from other emotions and circumstances" Agasa nodded in acceptance while his wife looked at the young biochemist somewhat skeptically

"That's very…logical. It's almost ironic that someone with such a calculated perception of relationships would have such a poetic view of love itself" Haibara made no expression, not really sure how to take the comment. After that the atmosphere between the two women remained somewhat tense until an hour passed and Haibara departed. As soon as she was out the door Agasa turned to his woman

"Fusae, is something bothering you?" he asked with genuine concern, hoping she would tell him that she was still reeling from her earlier thoughts about age. Truth be told, he'd been thinking most of the day about what he would say to her should the topic arise again

"I…oh Hiroshi-kun!" she exclaimed with tears streaming down her cheeks "I feel like I've wasted my life. So many years I spent focused on my career and waiting for you, and now here I am" she accentuated her point by running her hands down her face "old, closer to death than I've ever been, and way past the prime of my life" By the end of her rambling she had pushed her face into his chest, holding his labcoat in each of her hands. Throughout the rant Agasa had maintained a worried countenance as he stroked her hair

"Fusae" he said solemnly, gaining her attention almost immediately. He waited for her to lock eyes with him before continuing "I've told you this over and over but you seem to miss it every time. Your face is not what makes you old. It's not your skin or your hearing or even your hair" he grinned at her as he took a few strands of her silver hair between his fingers. Her pale blue eyes were shimmering with fresh tears as warmth filled her chest

"Than what…" she whispered almost inaudibly

"It's your spirit. You may be in your sixties, but you're still active physically, professionally, intellectually. You're the best at what you do and you even force me to stay in shape by walking for miles and miles with you" she sniffled with a smile at his little joke

"But I missed out on all the things you're supposed to do when you're young…" Agasa scanned her features for a moment before a smirk appeared on his face

"What do you want to do? We can go climb a mountain, or go sailing, or travel abroad. Whatever it is you think you missed we can still do" Agasa declared resolutely. Fusae thought on the idea for a moment before maneuvering her arms so they were in a much more intimate embrace

"As long as I'm with you, I feel young…" she hummed into his shoulder as his arms came around her to complete their hug.

"And you'll always look better too" he added with a laugh

**Alternate Ending**

"But I missed out on all the things you're supposed to do when you're young…" Agasa smirked mischievously and hoisted her into a bridal style hold

"Hiroshi-kun!" she exclaimed in surprise but was silence by a soft kiss

"We can still enjoy all the things young people do…" he said as he lowered her onto the entryway floor with a lusty gaze

_Twenty Minutes Later_

The door to the Agasa residence slides open slowly

"Hakase I forgot to tell that I-" her words suddenly caught in her throat as she came upon a sight she had always prayed she would never have to witness

"Oh Ai-kun" Agasa said in his usual, amiable manner. He even added a wave, which would have been a welcomed gesture if not for the fact that he was completely naked along with his wife on the floor of their entryway

"I-I'll just call you" Ai said in a very shaky and curt manner as she practically sprinted away from the house


	16. Sharpshooter

_I'd like you to keep in mind, the actual canon literal gives zero information on Calvados. I'm going solely on my imagination and what I can gather based on the fact that he was partnered with Chianti. So cut me some slack_

**_Characters: Calvados and Chianti_**

**_Title: Sharpshooter_**

"No way" Calvados said coolly, smirking as his partner huffed indignantly and put her eye to the lens on her rifle

"I"ll bet you 2000 I can hit the rim of that bottle without even moving it" Chianti challenged proudly, brushing the trigger with her fingertip, enjoying the feeling of cold steel on it. Calvados simply laughed and picked up his rifle from the spot beside him where it had been lying

"Alright, but if you fail I get to see you indecent again" he said with a sideways grin as he observed Chianti start to tremble in embarrassment and fury

"You perverted bastard!" she roared as she rose from her spot on the roof. She moved to punch him before she remembered they were on assignment and quickly subdued herself

"So is that a 'yes' or is the risk too great?" the color remained stained on her cheeks as she lowered herself back into a proper firing ready position

"Fine, but if I get this you owe me 2000 AND you get to drive back to the hotel _indecent_" she returned, placing venomous emphasis on the last word

"Uh uh. The bet is on, no more additions. Now take your shot so I can enjoy your _real_ talents" Calvados said definitively, raising an eyebrow at the last point. Chianti gritted her teeth in frustration at his sexual harassment but resolved to simply shut him up by winning the bet 'Heh, then that worthless bastard will have to buy me dinner and revel in my superior sharpshooting skills' she thought with a sinister grin as she lined up her shot

The bottle in question was a littered sake bottle lying on a wood fence. The fence was on the right side of an alleyway, approximately 800 meters away. Normally this shot wouldn't be an issue, but the circumstances were not in her favor. In addition to the obvious disadvantage of it being three o'clock in the morning, the fence serving as host for the empty bottle was blocking the bottle from the streetlamp. Leave it to the low income side of Munich to have one streetlamp every two blocks

"Well…" Calvados trailed off condescendingly, trying to goad her into another fit of rage. Unfortunately for him she was already in deep concentration, focusing all of her energy of the target. She took in a deep breath as the crosshairs of her sight fell on the unlit rim of the bottle. As she released the air from her lungs she squeezed the trigger, causing only a muffled, almost mute blast to echo through the street. Chianti smiled as a green shard went bouncing under the light of the streetlamp.

"Looks like I win, and you'll be buying breakfast" she proclaimed proudly, turning aware from her rifle to revel in her partner's dejected face. What she found instead was an obvious grin plastered on his face as he continued to look through his sight

"Look again" he said curtly with a tinge of laughter as he pulled aware from his weapon. In a flurry she spun around and pressed her eye to the glass magnifier attached to her gun. What she saw was nothing short of infuriating. There laid her target, on the ground in the alleyway shattered into a hundred pieces

"That doesn't count, the shot didn't break the bottle the fall from the fence did!" she protested desperately, eyes wide with determination

"Discrepancies should be identified before hand. You lose, and if you don't mind I'll save my prize for later" he informed her with a smug grin, causing her to both blush and crack the knuckles of her now clenched right fist

"Bastard…." She grumbled to herself, turning away from her partner look out at the night sky over Germany

"Later may come sooner than I thought" he said more to himself than to her as he turned to his weapon again

"Why, is the target moving?" she asked, transferring seamlessly from fury to a professional demeanor

"Yeah, are you ready?" he inquired, receiving a small nod from Chianti, whose face was already buried in her rifle

_Two Hours Later_

"Well done Chianti, that shot was perfectly placed" Calvados stated with a genuine smile as he drove their black getaway car, effectively flattering the young woman seated beside him

"Thanks. Too bad I couldn't make that shot with the bottle" she muttered with an air of humor. Calvados' face went stoic at the mention of their bet

"I still expect you to hold up your end of the bargain you know" he affirmed with no trace of emotion in his voice. Chianti chuckled easily under his serious façade, drawing her face up to his cheek so her lips barely brushed the skin. Calvados still remained unaffected, even as Chianti began to trace the line of his jaw with her tongue. Then in a sultry voice she whispered

"I had planned to do that regardless"

**A little sexual at the end I know, but given the nature of their profession and her personality, I can only imagine any relationship she had with him would have been very sex-based. That aside, this one was a little cuter than I thought it would be, but I do think it's funny to picture Chianti blushing and acting all girly. Next story, Yukiko and Yuusaku**


	17. Walking the Carpet

**Characters: Kudo Yuusaku and Kudo Yukiko**

**Title: Walking the Carpet**

For Yuusaku, the red carpet had always been the worst for him. He had known the second he decided to pursue the famous actress Fujimine Yukiko that he would be forced into the limelight whether he liked it or not. That's not to say he didn't enjoy the occasionally bit of public recognition, because it was certainly good for his ego. His issue with the paparazzi came more from the ongoing joke of him being categorized as a "bag holder"

A bag holder, according to the Hollywood Dictionary of Social Terminology(not a real book, don't look it up) is defined as a husband or boyfriend who accompanies their more relevant spouse or significant other to a social gathering of elite figures. It goes on to specify that the term is actually derived from the demeaning chore these men are given: holding the purse

Most of the men at these parties either didn't mind holding their ladies handbags because they were simply happy to be there or had enough of a social standing themselves to pass the bag off to an assistant or lacky of some sort. Unfortunately Yuusaku fell into neither of these categories for one simple reason

He was an author

The stereotype that much of the celebrity elite either didn't or lacked the mental capacity to read actually had a degree of truth to it. The fact was, despite his name being highly recognizable among the writing community, Hollywood only knew him as the husband of the illustrious Kudo Yukiko, who had no issue taking advantage of this fact

"Please Yuusaku, you know how I hate attending these movie screenings alone!" Yukiko pleaded, holding his right hand between both of hers, fiddling with his wedding band

"Yukiko, you're perfectly capable of going on your own. You know I won't like the movie and you know how much I despise walking the carpet" Yukiko eyes fell for a moment at her husband's somewhat stern counter. Noticing this, Yuusaku turned to her, lifting her chin with his left hand. What he found were tears pooling in her eyes

"B-But…." She sniffled, eyes glistening as she locked gazes with him. His face went solemn for a moment until he started to chuckle heartily, turning away from her, pulling his hands away in the process

"Sweetheart, after all these years together you think I can't tell when you falsify your emotions? How many times will you try that before you realize it doesn't work?" He asked rhetorically, still chuckling lightly as he finished, even wiping a tear from his own eye. With an indignant huff and a twist of her head to readjust her hair she wiped the tears from her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest

"Well fine then sabaka don't go!" she screamed, turning her body but not moving. After a few moments of silence Yuusaku finally spoke

"You can stand there all night, I'm not going" he stated definitely, grinning proudly to himself. Little did he know his wife was about to deal a death blow and seal his fate. With a cocky smirk of her own she turned to face her husband's back and pressed her chest firmly to it, making certain that he felt her impressive bust. Then she leaned up, placing her chin on his shoulder and in a terrifyingly grim tone said

"I'm going to go upstairs and get into my designer dress, and if you're not in your tux when I get back you'll never see anything _under _my dress again" she finished by laying a light peck on his neck. A chill went up Yuusaku's spine as the gravity of her words hit him. He sighed and ducked his head, causing his wife to giggle like a schoolgirl and go skipping away merrily, leaving him to sulk 'I suppose it beats the alternative. I swear, that woman….' He thought with a shake of his head

"I don't hear you moving!" Yukiko crowed from the staircase, causing her husband to flinch and release a much heavier sigh of annoyance

**~Forty Minutes Later~**

"You look very handsome" Yukiko commented genially after leaning up and pecking him on the lips. Yuusaku smiled and placed his hands on her shoulders

"Obviously I don't compare to you. You know I hate it when you dress to turn heads" he said, only partially joking; and his concerns were understandable. The dress she adorned was a broad strapped evening gown which ran down to the knee on her left leg and tailed off on her right at a slant, ending just above her right ankle. The material was smooth to the touch, something similar to silk. But the most striking feature was the color: ruby red. The garb completely suited her attention seeking tendencies and made her look absolutely ravishing

"Oh come on, It's inevitable for me to attract attention with this much beauty. And besides, it's these looks that got you to agree to come with me in the first place" she added with a wink. Yuusaku smiled as he ran his fingers up and down her uncovered arm

"You know you didn't have to go to such extremes to convince me to go. I would have done it for breakfast in bed" he paused for a moment, moving his eyes away from hers "and maybe something _else _for lunch" he finished with a lecherous grin, earning a slap on the arm from his wife

"Hentai! Anyway I probably wouldn't have held up my end of the threat even if you hadn't gone" she returned, causing Yuusaku to gaze at the ceiling thoughtfully

"So that means that technically…" he trailed off, returning his gaze to Yukiko, his eyes sparkling with mischief

"Try it and see" she answered with a challenging spark in her eyes

"You are a stubborn woman. I think I'll play it safe this time" his concession earned him a beautiful smile and a deep kiss from his lover. Just as the liplock started to get interesting Yukiko pulled away, withdrawing a hand mirror from her purse frantically

"Look what you did, you smeared my lipstick!" she whined, drawing the necessary materials from her purse to touch herself up

"You can do that on the way, the limousine is waiting" Yukiko nodded as Yuusaku took her hand and dragged her out of the house, hoping in vain that getting to the transport quickly would make the night end sooner

When they arrived, much to Yuusaku's chagrin, Yukiko held her purse out expectantly. Yuusaku, begrudgingly took the personal holster from her and placed the hand holding it at his side while the other went into his pant's pocket. Once that piece of unspoken business was handled the pair started to move forward, passing droves of paparazzi on their trek. As they walked one photographer's comment somehow managed to carry over all of the competing voices

"Yukiko you look great for your age!" with a cringe Yuusaku glanced over at his beloved, who had stopped dead in her tracks and was blowing literal smoke from her nostrils

"Now darling obviously he's delusional to say…" Yuusaku voice shrank in his throat as his wife reared her head in the direction of the unfortunate fool

"Who…said…that…" she asked in a low, disturbingly threatening voice. Yuusaku quickly noticed the glint of rage and violent intent in her eyes. With expert cunning and prowess developed through years of tempering his woman's tantrums, he unsheathed his hand from his pocket and put it around her shoulders, whispering sweet and loving compliments in her ear. In the process he managed to get them moving forward again. After a few minutes she seemed to regain her composure and pecked him on the cheek appreciatively. Just as they had begun a lighthearted conversation a reporter tapped her on the shoulder. Of course she accepted the interview, indulging her most prominent vice

As if on cue, the second she strayed away a man, no older than twenty-five and some mix of Hawaiian and Caucasian, came up and stood next to him. Judging by the lively movement of his eyes and the toothy smile plastered on his face Yuusaku ventured a guess that he was simply happy to be there. Yuusaku didn't recognize the young gentleman, which indicated he was a newcomer

"Hello there, I'm Yuusaku Kudo" he introduced cordially, making certain to give his non-family name first to avoid confusion with his Western counterpart. The man blinked a few times then reached out his hand in a nonverbal offer to shake. Yuusaku accepted the gesture but gave him a curious look 'why hasn't said anything to me yet?' After a few more seconds of pondering the reason finally dawned on him 'He doesn't think I speak English…' with a humored sigh and a shake of his head he said

"You know I do speak English" the man sneered at him, earning a confused look from Yuusaku

"I figured that out when you said 'hello there'." Yuusaku was taken back by the disrespectful punk's lack of common courtesy

"Oh. Well who are you here with?" he asked, trying a different angle to broach a conversation. The young man simply raised a hand, putting the palm uncomfortably close to Yuusaku's face

"Someone who actually matters. Now if you don't mind I'm going to go anywhere but here" and with that he marched off with his chin raised high in an effort to assert his standing in the world. Meanwhile Yuusaku stood completely humiliated with his fists clenched on either side of his body, serving as external symbols for his internal rage. Along with a slew of curse words a coherent thought crossed his mind 'Why am I even here? I could be home working on my novel or…anything else!' Just as his thought concluded his wife strode forward, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pressing the side of her face to his chest

"You're a better man than anyone here Yuusaku" she stated with no compromise or uncertainty in her voice 'Apparently she noticed I was angry' As his wife continued to hold onto him, he recalled his previous rage-induced question 'I remember what I'm here for now…' he thought as Yukiko took him by the hand and pulled him hastily toward the theatre where the screening was taking place

'Sex'

**A few things: 1 yes the title was an innuendo for those of you who appreciate a good ol' fashion sex pun.**

** 2 'sabaka' is a play on words, sakka meaning author and baka meaning idiot. I am freaking clever aren't I? **

**Oh and 3 is that the next segment will be part three of the ShiraKoba trilogy**


	18. First Date: Dinner is the Show

**Characters: Shiratori Ninzaburo and Kobayashi Sumiko**

**Title: First Date: Dinner _is_ the Show**

As the pair exited the car there was a noticeable tension between them. Nothing had been said in the car, which made the ten minute ride seem like an eternity and a half. Shiratori of course had taken it upon himself to overthink the situation, practically inducing an anxiety aneurism

'Maybe the name was too much. I know she's not the most forward woman, I probably terrified her. She was too scared to even speak to me in the car…' as his negative thoughts continued to pummel his psyche, Kobayashi simply stared at him. Apparently he hadn't noticed when she exited the vehicle and came around to his side, standing on the elevated sidewalk a few feet away from him. She observed as he stood next to the car with the door open and his hand on the top of it. He seemed so deep in thought that the idea of disturbing him made her nervous

'What could he thinking so intently about?' she asked herself as she continued to watch him. As if he heard he could hear he thoughts his head suddenly shot up and his eyes widened as he realized how long he'd been standing there

"G-Gomen S-" he halted himself before he could use the new moniker he had given her. The thought of her disapproving of the name he'd called her was still fresh in his mind. In a moment of questionable cautiousness he continued with "Kobayashi-san. I was just thinking about a case from earlier today" He finished with a deep exhale as he tried to gauge her reaction. What he concluded was that he had made the wrong decision. A combination of hurt and disappointment was written all over her features. Even her shoulders slumped noticeably while she nodded and sent him a plastic smile

"So s-should we go in now?" She asked after a brief gap of silence between them. He nodded and walked forward, standing beside her and proceeding to walk in stride with her up to the entrance of the restaurant. A minute or so later they were seated at the table he had reserved for them. Despite his anxiety when the time came to actually ask her to dinner, he had actually been rather confident that she would say 'yes'. Some would say reserving a table at a high end restaurant for an unconfirmed date is either very stupid or very arrogant, which fit Shiratori's personality splendidly considering he had a capacity for both

"Uh Shiratori-san, do you plan on drinking tonight?" the young school teacher asked, obviously concerned about there transportation after the meal

"No, I shouldn't since I'll be driving. But if you'd like to you feel free" he added with a smile which she returned shyly

"Oh no, I don't really drink alcohol. And besides it would be rude of me to make you watch me" Shiratori chuckled lightly as he caught her gaze

"It's never a chore for me to watch you" he stated suavely, causing a lovely blush to spread over his date's dimples

"So cheesy….." Mitsuhiko said with a shake of his head. Agasa smiled wide at the romantic sentiment

"It's called romance Mitsuhiko-kun, and someday you'll have those feelings for a girl too" Agasa declared loudly, which is why it didn't surprise anyone when Ayumi leapt across the table and covered his mouth with both of her hands

"Agasa-hakase you need to be quiet or they'll see us!" Ayumi squealed. Agasa gently grabbed her wrists and removed them from his face and sighed

"Gomen Ayumi-kun" Satisfied with his apology Ayumi returned to her seat. The situation was simple enough. Much to the dissatisfaction of Conan and Haibara, the detective boys and decided they needed to observe their teacher's date. Tailing Shiratori's car was easy enough considering Agasa had equipped each of the children with their own tracking device

"I still don't understand why we're here. We can't hear them from here, and we can barely see them. And even if we could, what are we going to find out exactly?" Conan asked in his usual, emotionally detached tone

"I suppose you're just irritable because you're being kept away from you're lovely Mouri-chan" Ai inferred with an apathetic tone. Conan blushed slightly and sank deep into his seat

"No he's just mad because we only had one receiver and he lost our rock-paper-scissors game so he can't listen" Genta said with a cocky chuckle, causing Conan to slump into his chair even further

"I just don't see the point in being here…." He grumbled, crossing his arms defensively over his chest. Haibara let out a small noise that some might have interpreted as a laugh before turning her attention to Agasa

"The least we could do is order an appetizer" she said, causing Agasa smile elatedly

"You're right, I think I'll get the fried wonton or maybe the-"

"Not for you, you're still on a diet and you ate before we left. I meant you should something for them" she specified, pointing to the three children staring blatantly at the table. Agasa's expression fell but nonetheless he nodded

"I suppose I'll order something for them the next time the waiter comes over" with that settled Haibara returned her attention to the two familiar faces currently engaged in subdued conversation

Meanwhile back with the couple, things hadn't progressed much in the way of resolving the awkward tension between them. They had managed to carry on a shaky conversation about some recent news story relating to the construction of a new University campus in the Beika district

"It'll be nice to have a high level college where students from the district can attend. I know a lot of my alumni would have preferred to stay here. Many of them had to relocate out of the country to attend college" Shiratori rambled, trying valiantly to get his date engage him. Up to this point the most she had given in the way of a response was a nod and a few words of agreement

"I agree. I know I would have liked to stay here for college. I had to go to the University at Osaka to get my credential" Shiratori nodded in response. Just as he was about to speak again their waitress approached them. After placing their drink and food orders they were left once again in brutally awkward silence

Finally with a manufactured cough Shiratori spoke again

"So Kobayashi-san, what d-"

"What did I do?" she asked with an inflection that was foreign to his ear. He could only remember ever hearing it once before, and that was when she had found out about Sato

"What do you mean?" he asked, realizing how stupid he must have sounded but nonetheless feeling the need to clear whatever it was that was bothering her

"Back at my apartment you looked at me like…" she trailed off, trying to contain her emotions but failing as her expression slowly turned from upset to distraught. Shiratori wanted so badly to rush to her side and comfort her, but his uncertainty about her current feelings for him kept him seated "like you were happy to be here, with me…" she finished so quietly the microphone planted under their table couldn't even pick it up

"Like what? Like what?" Mitsuhiko yelled angrily, pushing the receiver, which looked similar to a standard walkie-talkie, onto his ear

"Calm down Tsuburaya-kun, otherwise they'll notice us" Ai said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder. Mitsuhiko melted at her touch, forgetting instantly what he had been concerned about

'Messing with him like that is a little cruel isn't it?' Conan thought as he watched the boy he had come to consider a friend practically purr at the feeling of his crush's hand on his shoulder. Chuckling to himself Conan turned to Agasa and his expression hardened slightly

"So how much longer do you plan to stay here Hakase?" he asked, praying to hear something along the lines of 'not much longer' or 'we'll leave soon'.

"I'm not sure Shinichi-kun, it's whenever they are satisfied that they've 'done their job'. Besides, the food hasn't even arrived" Agasa whispered, earning a groan from the shrunken teen

Back at the other table a horribly awkward silence had fallen over the pair. Kobayashi had said what she had to say and could only await her date's response. Shiratori meanwhile, was awestruck to silence. Her concerns had nearly caused him to spray his drink on her. 'She thinks this is her fault' he deduced sadly, instantly feeling a deep obligation to rectify the situation

"Gomen Sumiko-chan, I was just nervous. You didn't say much in the car so I thought I may have…made you uncomfortable" he admitted, blushing visibly in embarrassment. Hearing the words come out of his mouth made them sound all the more ridiculous. They really had been handling this like school children

"I…it's okay. I was nervous too, I just couldn't think of anything to say. I apologize for making you so nervous" Kobayashi said while staring intently at the table in front of her. Shiratori was silent for a moment before giggling softly. Then the giggle turned into a full-on chortle as he placed his hands on his midsection, inspiring Kobayashi to join. In a matter of seconds the two were sharing in a loud, uproarious laugh

"What's going on Tsuburaya-kun?" Haibara asked, seeing his utterly mortified expression. With a single, ironic laugh he looked over at her and said

"They….are laughing" Haibara looked at him confused

"But weren't they just-"

"Hai" Haibara turned to Conan, expecting some sort of input. He simply shrugged indifferently and went back to staring off into space

"That doesn't matter know, the food is here!" Genta nearly screamed in elation. The rest of the table simply laughed as the server put their food down on the table

The rest of the evening went splendidly for the teacher and her officer of the law. After their hearty laugh they made their orders, ate and left the restaurant with a pleasantly amicable air surrounding them. Some might have even called it…cute

Once they arrived back at Kobayashi's apartment they took their time exiting the car. Apparently the feeling of wanting to prolong their evening as long as possible was mutual. Even their steps from the car to her apartment were sluggish, as of they were each intentionally dragging their feet. This slow and steady walk was made in silence, so not a word was spoken until they actually reached her door

"Arigato, Ninzaburo-kun" Kobayashi said cutely, staring at his feet. Shiratori smiled and placed his closed fist under her chin, gently lifting her head until her eyes hesitantly met his

"No need. I'm just glad you let me take you out" Kobayashi blushed hard as he continued to smile, enjoying every feature of hers. After a few silent moments of admiration Kobayashi spoke up

"If you wanted to uh….ask me again, I wo-" her potential offer for a second date was silenced by Shiratori's middle and index fingers coming up from his side and planting themselves on her lips

"What do you mean 'if'? I would be honored if you would let me take you out again" he said elegantly, puffing his chest out as he swelled with masculine pride. Kobayashi's cheeks were now an almost dangerous shade of red. Some would have seen this as a signal that she was about to pass out

"I uh….okay, yes. I would like that" she stammered, hardly able to speak at all. Feeling content with where things were Shiratori leaned forward and pecked her cheek, eliciting a small squeak from the woman he now considered to be his girlfriend. When he pulled away he couldn't help the huge grin that spread across his face

"Goodnight Sumiko-chan" he said with a small wave as he turned around and walked back toward his car. Even if Kobayashi had possessed the mental presence to return his parting sentiment, the rapid onset of cottonmouth would have made speaking impossible. So she simply waved absent-mindedly at his back with an almost inebriated smile plastered on her face

"How much longer are we going to stay here?" Conan groaned in exasperation

"Come on Conan it's Friday, we're allowed to stay out late tonight! And besides, I don't think Agasa-hakase is going to wake up for a while" Genta said, gesturing toward their sleeping companion. Haibara rolled her eyes as Conan let his head fall onto the table with a loud thud

**First off, I know what you're thinking but come on, anyone who thinks Kobayashi would kiss on the lips after one date is delusional. That aside, the trilogy is finally complete. Now for those of you requesting repeats let me say, I have four couples left to do then I'll have done every(at least I hope) noteworthy pairing. Of those four you should be well aware of at least two of them. Let me just say one of the obvious two will be saved for last. The next couple I'm doing is Yamato Kansuke and Uehara Yui**


	19. Pride

**Characters: Yamato Kansuke and Uehara Yui**

**Title: Pride**

"Daddy I want to go skiing" young Yosuke said to his father, who was still laying in bed with a grimace on his face

"No" he responded curtly, rolling away from the child and covering the sides of his head with his pillow

"But we came all the way here for our vacation and there's a mountain just twenty minutes away from the hotel. Come on Tosan'!" Yosuke pleaded, drawing nearer to the bed, despite his father's angry glare

"I said no. Now go find Akio and your mother, they're probably already down in the lobby eating breakfast" With that stern command Yosuke departed, leaving his father, now fully awake, to sit in bed and think

**~Flashback~**

"Yui you can't be serious" Yamato said in sheer disbelief. They had planned in advance and called in favors with their chief to have the same two weeks off for vacation. They were excited, but not nearly as excited as their kids were. Yui and Yamato had two children together, Yosuke, the eldest at the ripe old age of eleven and Akio, who was five years behind his brother. Through sheer coincidence their birthdays were only eight days apart, making their family's coming vacation all the more special.

"I had no control over it, I asked them where they wanted to go for their birthdays and they said they wanted to go to Mount Kuchisanbo and ski" Yui responded calmly, placing a gentle hand on her husband's shoulder. They both knew full well why he was so uncomfortable the idea of them going skiing on a snow laden mountain

"You could have given them some other suggestions, turned their attention elsewhere" Yamato said through gritted teeth. Going up to a snowy, mountainous region wasn't exactly his idea of leisure

"Kan-kun, we both know what this is really about" her tone was especially soft and considerate as she broached this particular point. The topic was one that they had discussed in relation to their children many times in the past

"They're not ready Yui" he shot back tersely, shrugging away from her touch and turning away from her. She simply closed her eyes and walked up behind him, embracing him fully so her chest was pressed against his back and her cheek was planted just below the back of his neck

"We both know that they are. The question is, are you ready?"

**~End Flashback~**

The idea of revealing to his two young sons the origin of his permanent infirmities was not something he enjoyed. Yamato, being a man of tremendous masculine pride, always found his injuries to be hindrances that made him weak. The last thing he wanted in the world was to lose the respect of his children. But now they were there, and his wife had given him a simple ultimatum _if you don't tell them by the end of the trip I will. _Her words were still fresh in his mind. Already he had avoided the topic for three days out of their ten day trip. Hell he had even managed to avoid the slopes altogether, but he had a feeling that luck was about to run out

Down at the lobby, Yui was seated at a table eating with her two sons, the oldest of which was berating her with questions, or rather, requests

"Kasan, you need to tell Tosan to take us skiing. We've been here three days and we haven't even been out to the mountain" Yui sighed deeply and took a sip from her coffee

"Yosuke you know if you keep asking you're only going to make your father angry, and them you'll never get to go" Yosuke opened his mouth to argue then slumped in his seat, accepting the futility of his arguments

"What about you Akio, are you having fun?" Yui asked in a much for bubbly tone. Akio looked at his mother for a moment, then to his brother and then back to his mother but remained silent. It only took her a moment to put together what her youngest was trying to communicate

"Yosuke…" she started with an accusatory tone "did you tell your brother not to speak to us until we agreed to take you skiing?" she asked, already fully aware of the answer. Yosuke looked up from his slouched position wearing a guilty expression. Yui had to hold back a chuckle 'Stubborn child…just like his father' as if on cue Yamato came walking up. After spotting his family he approached them and took his seat at the table. Before anyone could speak he said with unquestionable seriousness in his voice

"Yui, take Akio and go back to the room. We'll join you shortly" Normally Yui would have questioned such a direct command, but she knew him well enough to know when he was genuinely serious. So, without a word she took her currently muted son by the hand and made her way to the elevator. Once the two had disappeared Yamato took a deep breath and looked at his son with his usual scowl. But Yosuke was perceptive enough to notice the slight difference in his expression. There was something off, it almost looked like he was….nervous

"Tosan, what's going on?" he asked in the most mature he could summon with his preteen vocal chords. Yamato's eyes remained fixed on his son as he started to speak

"Son it's time I told you how I lost my eye and inured my leg" Yosuke was shaken to the core by this. For years he had wondered about his father's eye. He had even tried to get answers from his mother on a few occasions, only to be turned away with the classic 'when you're older' excuse

"When I was a young, there was a police officer in my town, Kuroto Kai. Your mother and I looked up to him, in fact he was the reason we decided to work for the police" Yosuke was in awe of the man who inspired his father, the man who had become know in his district as a legend in his own right

"What happened to him Tosan?" he asked innocently, simply wanting to hear more about the man

"He was murdered. However at the time he was killed there were no leads as to who had done it. Years later I managed to find someone I thought was the killer. I chased him onto a mountain during the winter. Unfortunately while I was chasing him an avalanche came down and I was caught up in it" For Yosuke, the story seemed easy enough to put together from there. However he didn't dare interrupt his father until he was sure he had finished

"For several days after the incident I was believed to be dead. Luckily Koumei came and found me. He saved my life, but I lost my eye and suffered heavy damage to my leg" Yamato took another deep breath, more for comfort than oxygen "That is why I am how I am now" Yosuke, seeing that his father had finished speaking quietly said

"Is that why you don't us to go skiing?" Yamato, thinking over his response for a moment, finally responded

"Yes. But now I realize I can't allow my fears to become your weakness" Yosuke was confused by his statement and simply looked at him blankly. Realizing his son had missed the point of what he had said, sighed and rose from the table with an almost irritated expression

"Go and get your brother, we're going skiing" he said definitively. Yosuke hesitated for a moment then leapt off of his chair and took of toward the stairs. As he ran off Yui appeared from a shadowy corner next to the elevators. She strode up with a soft smile and stood beside her husband, who hadn't moved an inch after rising from the table

"I'm proud of you, Kan-kun" she whispered with just enough volume for Yamato to hear

"Just as long as I don't have to tell Akio for a few years, I'll be fine" he said with a chuckle. Yui laughed with him for a moment. Then her countenance went serious again

"Kansuke, you know they won't think any less of you" she stated, leaving no room for argument in her soft consolation. Yamato smiled faintly, showing his wife that her words had been received.

"Are you going to ski as well?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood of their conversation

"Only if you come with me. You should be able to get us to the front of the lines" suddenly Yamato's temper spiked and he turned to his wife, eyes wide and nostrils flared

"You think I'm some sort of handicap express for you to use whenever it's convenient for you?" Yui giggled and pecked him on the peck quickly before he could react

"Yes. Now let's go change and get ready" she suggested, already walking toward the elevator. Yamato followed her, thinking with a flame of determination 'I don't care if I do only have one leg and one eye, I'll still out ski all three of them'

**Not bad, again not too much to go on but it came out alright. Next up, Heizo and Shizuka**


End file.
